Some of you will remember the country song by Tom T. Hall that said, "Me and Jesus, got our own thing goin'. Me and Jesus, got it all worked out. Me and Jesus, got our own thing goin'. We don't need anybody to tell us what it's all about." The song talks about a man who worked out the sins in his life without a preacher or a church involved. It plays right into our cultural sense of 'me-ism,' in which we learn to think that everything is about ourselves, even knowing and serving God.
We know we should live differently, but often don't because we somehow convince ourselves that our situation is unique, because we think our status gives us special privileges, or because we think that the consequences that others suffer just will not happen to us. People that seek my counsel are often 'amazed' at what is happening to them as their health deteriorates, their marriage falls apart, or their kids go wild. Even as they acknowledge the decisions that got them where they are today, they excuse themselves with the old line, "Yeah, I know, but...."
Thinking that the rules apply to everyone except ourselves is a human trait that has a long heritage!
"Yeah, I know I was speeding, but...."
"Yeah, I know I oughta quit smoking, but...."
"Yeah, I know I'm flirting with disaster, but..."
"Yeah, I know I should get my spiritual life together, but..."
In that upside-down view of life, our personal comfort, our happiness, our sense of well-being trumps everything else. Nothing is as important as doing what we want to do. After all, what a Friend we have in Jesus with Whom we have it all worked out. (So, we think!)
Here's what the Lord says. "You must not have any other god but me." (Exodus 20:3, NLT) That includes self! I look into the mirror often and tell myself, "There is one God, and you are not Him!" I do not get to write the guidelines for myself, God already did that.
James writes about people who brag and boast about their plans, who mistakenly believe that they are a god. He says, "Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog-it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:13-17, NLT)
Jesus says, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it." (Matthew 10:39, NLT) Without faith, without eyes that are open to the things of the Spirit, that statement makes no sense at all. "Give up your life?" You mean, don't make choices based on what's best in this moment, what feels good, what leads to making the most money, what feeds myself? That's exactly what He means! Our obedience allows us to find life to the full, to enjoy God's affirmation, and day to day intimacy with Him. It takes real faith to accept that and do what He says rather than what Self demands.
So you can say, "Yeah, I know, but...." and give yourself an exemption. People do it all the time - and, they pay the price for their choices.
Here's a passage that merits meditation. It talks about the Believer on the Day when he stands before Christ to give an account. I don't think that "Yeah, I know, but..." will mean all that much before His piercing, insightful, loving gaze, do you?
"Anyone who builds on that foundation (the salvation provided by Christ Jesus) may use a variety of materials-gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. . . . Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. . . . Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God." (1 Corinthians 3:12-23, NLT)
_______________________________________________
Oh that with yonder sacred throng,
we at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song,
and crown Him, Lord of all!
-public domain
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The favorite little word
Monuments are everywhere. Names of the great are attached to buildings, bridges, airports, and roadways. Companies bear the name of their founders. Let’s face it. Everybody wants to be somebody. I don’t know that I want anything named for me, but I do have a persistent desire to leave a mark on my world, to have lived in a way that means something to at least a few people. That’s not all bad. Self-esteem can be healthy when kept in the right place.
Healthy self-esteem subtly morphs into pride and from that root grows some bad stuff!
Hypocrisy grows out of the prideful desire to look better than we actually are.
Vanity springs from that root, too. Somehow we think we can impress others with the right clothes, titles, or car.
Exclusivity, the desire to be part of the ‘in’ group is another fruit of pride. Howard Schultz, who grew Starbucks® into a huge company, did so in part by turning the act of buying an expensive cup of coffee with an exotic name into a way of being on the inside! He acknowledged that it took some effort to learn the special language that is required to order coffee in his shops, but once mastered by the individual, there was a sense of belonging to an exclusive group.
The more a person is in the grip of pride the more ways he will find to express a simple one letter word that has become his favorite little word– “I.” His world will increasing shrink down to revolve around his comfort, his concerns, his reputation, his preferences, his emotions, and his agenda. An exaggerated sense of self-importance takes hold that can slide into grandiose behaviors, of which he is completely unaware. His life becomes a monologue. It’s an ugly way to live; tragic, lonely, and paradoxically – what the proud man desires most is denied him by his own pride. Self-absorption is the surest way to become a forgotten person!
So, how do we defeat pride? The Word shows us the prime example.
"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names." (Philippians 2:5-9, NLT) Jesus became involved with our need, fully human, and served! He was no demi-god, dabbling in our world. He humbled himself to become one of us, setting aside His glory for our sake.
John Ortberg writes that “the oldest Christological heresy—docetism—arose because people could not absorb the notion that God might enter into vulnerability and suffering. John says it is the spirit of antichrist that denies that Jesus came kata sarx—"in the flesh." Jesus was no Superman. He did not defy his enemies, hands on his hips, bullets bouncing harmlessly off his chest. The whip drew real blood, the thorns pressed real flesh, the nails caused mind-numbing pain, the cross led to actual death. And through it all, he bore with people, forgave them, loved them to the end.” - LeadershipJournal.net 1/2007 Curing Grandiosity
Are you willing to set aside your ‘glory?’
Will you become the person that God desires you to be by serving?
Don’t look around while you’re serving, wondering who’s watching and what they think. Just serve for Christ’s sake. Don’t calculate the potential for reward or recognition, just serve for Heaven’s reward.
Let me leave you pondering a story Jesus told at a wedding where the guests were competing to sit at the best tables.
“When someone invites you to dinner, don’t take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he’ll come and call out in front of everybody, ‘You’re in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.’ Red-faced, you’ll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left.
“When you’re invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, ‘Friend, come up to the front.’ That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I’m saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face. But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.” (Luke 14:8-11, The Message)
__________________
Make me a servant,
Humble and meek.
Lord, let me lift up
Those who are weak;
And may the pray'r
Of my heart always be.
Make me a servant.
Make me a servant.
Make me a servant today.
Make Me A Servant
Willard, Kelly
© 1982 Maranatha! Music (Admin. by The Copyright Company) / Willing Heart Music (Maranatha! Music [Admin. by The Copyright Company])
CCLI License No. 810055
Healthy self-esteem subtly morphs into pride and from that root grows some bad stuff!
Hypocrisy grows out of the prideful desire to look better than we actually are.
Vanity springs from that root, too. Somehow we think we can impress others with the right clothes, titles, or car.
Exclusivity, the desire to be part of the ‘in’ group is another fruit of pride. Howard Schultz, who grew Starbucks® into a huge company, did so in part by turning the act of buying an expensive cup of coffee with an exotic name into a way of being on the inside! He acknowledged that it took some effort to learn the special language that is required to order coffee in his shops, but once mastered by the individual, there was a sense of belonging to an exclusive group.
The more a person is in the grip of pride the more ways he will find to express a simple one letter word that has become his favorite little word– “I.” His world will increasing shrink down to revolve around his comfort, his concerns, his reputation, his preferences, his emotions, and his agenda. An exaggerated sense of self-importance takes hold that can slide into grandiose behaviors, of which he is completely unaware. His life becomes a monologue. It’s an ugly way to live; tragic, lonely, and paradoxically – what the proud man desires most is denied him by his own pride. Self-absorption is the surest way to become a forgotten person!
So, how do we defeat pride? The Word shows us the prime example.
"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names." (Philippians 2:5-9, NLT) Jesus became involved with our need, fully human, and served! He was no demi-god, dabbling in our world. He humbled himself to become one of us, setting aside His glory for our sake.
John Ortberg writes that “the oldest Christological heresy—docetism—arose because people could not absorb the notion that God might enter into vulnerability and suffering. John says it is the spirit of antichrist that denies that Jesus came kata sarx—"in the flesh." Jesus was no Superman. He did not defy his enemies, hands on his hips, bullets bouncing harmlessly off his chest. The whip drew real blood, the thorns pressed real flesh, the nails caused mind-numbing pain, the cross led to actual death. And through it all, he bore with people, forgave them, loved them to the end.” - LeadershipJournal.net 1/2007 Curing Grandiosity
Are you willing to set aside your ‘glory?’
Will you become the person that God desires you to be by serving?
Don’t look around while you’re serving, wondering who’s watching and what they think. Just serve for Christ’s sake. Don’t calculate the potential for reward or recognition, just serve for Heaven’s reward.
Let me leave you pondering a story Jesus told at a wedding where the guests were competing to sit at the best tables.
“When someone invites you to dinner, don’t take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he’ll come and call out in front of everybody, ‘You’re in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.’ Red-faced, you’ll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left.
“When you’re invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, ‘Friend, come up to the front.’ That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I’m saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face. But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.” (Luke 14:8-11, The Message)
__________________
Make me a servant,
Humble and meek.
Lord, let me lift up
Those who are weak;
And may the pray'r
Of my heart always be.
Make me a servant.
Make me a servant.
Make me a servant today.
Make Me A Servant
Willard, Kelly
© 1982 Maranatha! Music (Admin. by The Copyright Company) / Willing Heart Music (Maranatha! Music [Admin. by The Copyright Company])
CCLI License No. 810055
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Beautiful Life
He was dressed in his military uniform, neatly pressed, carefully presented. But, there was a big problem; I was looking at a corpse! Oh, I could see from his features who he was. Yet, there was no sparkle of laughter, no warmth of relationship. His spirit was gone, leaving a shell. The appearance was intact but the essence of the man himself was missing. The vibrant, fun-loving guy described by the friends was nowhere in sight inside that coffin! The life that made him beautiful was gone!
Disciple, are you ALIVE in Christ?
Is the Holy Spirit active in you, making your life a thing of beauty?
There are those who claim to be “Christian” who are not. They are dressed in religious habits, neatly prepared with Biblical theology, and carefully presented with morality, but dead none-the-less! Their lives are missing the essence of being truly Christian. One night, a very moral man, a religious leader, came to Jesus. Nicodemus knew that something was missing in his sought after relationship with God. He was among those still dead. Jesus told him, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life." (John 3:5-6, NLT) Let me paraphrase Jesus’ words: Your Daddy and Momma gave you one kind of life, but the Spirit of God will give you real and lasting life. You can have a life that is made beautiful, not of your own doing, by God’s Spirit living in you. You need not go through some esoteric ritual, join some mind-bending cult, or go on a vision quest in some far-away land to find this life. Jesus said that “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:23, NIV)
He is invited to come through faith in Christ Jesus. He remains as we respond to His prompting, deal with our sinfulness, and breathe His breath in worship and prayer. Where the Spirit lives, there is an attractive, nearly indescribable, but very real, quality of life. Are you alive?
Here’s a word from the Word. It’s one of my favorite passages, rich in promise. Take time to digest it, accept what the Lord says, and let the beautiful life begin.
"Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children." (Romans 8:10-16, NLT)
_______________
Heavenly Dad, (Abba!) I love You and
thank you for the gift of life.
Breathe Your holy breath in me.
Make my words and actions beautiful for Your own glory.
As Your life pulses through this mortal body
in that mysterious way of which Jesus spoke,
may I catch sight of Heaven and Hope!
Come, Holy Spirit!
Produce the evidence of Your Life in me:
The abundant fruit spoken of by the Word:
"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT)
As You live in me, cause me to
love, laugh, and make Your Presence
known in the world,
one truly ‘born of the Spirit.’
Amen.
Disciple, are you ALIVE in Christ?
Is the Holy Spirit active in you, making your life a thing of beauty?
There are those who claim to be “Christian” who are not. They are dressed in religious habits, neatly prepared with Biblical theology, and carefully presented with morality, but dead none-the-less! Their lives are missing the essence of being truly Christian. One night, a very moral man, a religious leader, came to Jesus. Nicodemus knew that something was missing in his sought after relationship with God. He was among those still dead. Jesus told him, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life." (John 3:5-6, NLT) Let me paraphrase Jesus’ words: Your Daddy and Momma gave you one kind of life, but the Spirit of God will give you real and lasting life. You can have a life that is made beautiful, not of your own doing, by God’s Spirit living in you. You need not go through some esoteric ritual, join some mind-bending cult, or go on a vision quest in some far-away land to find this life. Jesus said that “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:23, NIV)
He is invited to come through faith in Christ Jesus. He remains as we respond to His prompting, deal with our sinfulness, and breathe His breath in worship and prayer. Where the Spirit lives, there is an attractive, nearly indescribable, but very real, quality of life. Are you alive?
Here’s a word from the Word. It’s one of my favorite passages, rich in promise. Take time to digest it, accept what the Lord says, and let the beautiful life begin.
"Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children." (Romans 8:10-16, NLT)
_______________
Heavenly Dad, (Abba!) I love You and
thank you for the gift of life.
Breathe Your holy breath in me.
Make my words and actions beautiful for Your own glory.
As Your life pulses through this mortal body
in that mysterious way of which Jesus spoke,
may I catch sight of Heaven and Hope!
Come, Holy Spirit!
Produce the evidence of Your Life in me:
The abundant fruit spoken of by the Word:
"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT)
As You live in me, cause me to
love, laugh, and make Your Presence
known in the world,
one truly ‘born of the Spirit.’
Amen.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Beautiful Liar
Magicians fascinate me, not because I think they can really make people float on air or cause the Statue of Liberty to disappear with a wave of their hands, but because they convince me to suspend my reasonable mind for a few moments. With ‘hands that are faster than the eye,’ tactics designed to divert attention, wires, and boxes that have secret compartments; the modern magician makes us believe a lie, if only for a moment. We want to think, somehow, that they have defied the limits of time, space, and gravity! That’s entertainment.
The Devil is a magician, too, who draws the willing into a lie! While we like to think that evil’s approach will always be obvious, that alarm bells will sound in our mind when we wander into spiritually dangerous territory, that is simply not true. The devil is a beautiful liar. In the Genesis story, he approaches Eve urging her to disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit with a promise: “you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5, NIV) He did not tell her that she would also begin to die, that she would lose intimacy with her Creator, and that she would become subject to pain and suffering. Why, after all these millennia, are we not wise to his schemes?
He is still a beautiful liar. The Bible says that he "masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14, NIV) He works to make selfishness appear sophisticated, to recast marital infidelity into a sweet affair, to make addiction to work into admirable diligence, to make truthfulness the characteristic of the naïve in a world. He even works his magic on sincere Christians, when allowed. He turns their desire for the Living God into a ugly parody of faith called religion, based not on life in the Spirit, but on rigid rules that attempt to control behavior by fear. Only after we have entered into his conspiracy and compromised ourselves does he drop the act and reveal his diabolical intent to destroy us.
Temptation to do evil is more easily defeated than we might think. Part of the lie is convincing us that we are powerless, that the attraction is irresistible, that the ‘devil made me do it!’ No, we choose to cooperate with the liar, to believe his whispered seductions that appeal to our base nature. If we live in Truth, if we are relentlessly authentic, temptation loses much of its luster. We see the sequins for what they are, the smoke and mirrors become obvious under the bright Light of the Gospel of Christ.
The human tragedy is summed up in these words: "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. …Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done." (Romans 1:25, 28, NIV) But, God did not abandon humanity in that hopeless condition! He intervened with the gift of His Son, showing us the Way back home, calling us to reject the beautiful liar.
Disciple, will you live in the Truth today?
Will you pray for a discerning heart and mind that God, the Holy Spirit, offers to you?
Will you love the light of Christ?
Here’s a word from the Word. Own it as you read it.
"The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see.
Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires." (Romans 13:12-15, NLT)
___________
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
Word Music Group, Inc.
© 1988 PDI Praise (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Dayspring Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
The Devil is a magician, too, who draws the willing into a lie! While we like to think that evil’s approach will always be obvious, that alarm bells will sound in our mind when we wander into spiritually dangerous territory, that is simply not true. The devil is a beautiful liar. In the Genesis story, he approaches Eve urging her to disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit with a promise: “you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5, NIV) He did not tell her that she would also begin to die, that she would lose intimacy with her Creator, and that she would become subject to pain and suffering. Why, after all these millennia, are we not wise to his schemes?
He is still a beautiful liar. The Bible says that he "masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14, NIV) He works to make selfishness appear sophisticated, to recast marital infidelity into a sweet affair, to make addiction to work into admirable diligence, to make truthfulness the characteristic of the naïve in a world. He even works his magic on sincere Christians, when allowed. He turns their desire for the Living God into a ugly parody of faith called religion, based not on life in the Spirit, but on rigid rules that attempt to control behavior by fear. Only after we have entered into his conspiracy and compromised ourselves does he drop the act and reveal his diabolical intent to destroy us.
Temptation to do evil is more easily defeated than we might think. Part of the lie is convincing us that we are powerless, that the attraction is irresistible, that the ‘devil made me do it!’ No, we choose to cooperate with the liar, to believe his whispered seductions that appeal to our base nature. If we live in Truth, if we are relentlessly authentic, temptation loses much of its luster. We see the sequins for what they are, the smoke and mirrors become obvious under the bright Light of the Gospel of Christ.
The human tragedy is summed up in these words: "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. …Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done." (Romans 1:25, 28, NIV) But, God did not abandon humanity in that hopeless condition! He intervened with the gift of His Son, showing us the Way back home, calling us to reject the beautiful liar.
Disciple, will you live in the Truth today?
Will you pray for a discerning heart and mind that God, the Holy Spirit, offers to you?
Will you love the light of Christ?
Here’s a word from the Word. Own it as you read it.
"The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see.
Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires." (Romans 13:12-15, NLT)
___________
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
Word Music Group, Inc.
© 1988 PDI Praise (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Dayspring Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
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