Looking to the Stars?

Do you wonder about life? Do you ponder your health, your future relationships, your employment?  Almost all of us are curious about the future.  This leads many otherwise intelligent people to turn to those who claim to be able to peer over the edge of time for answers.  The American President, Ronald Reagan, was advised by an astrologer after his near assassination in 1981!  His wife, Nancy, was so full of fear for his safety she secretly set his schedule based on readings of star charts. Then, too, going way past the cards and star charts, there are those who say that they can create a bridge to the world of the dead, looking to those ‘on the other side’ for advice.

Perhaps you’re already saying, "Come on, Jerry, this is the 21st century. Nobody takes that stuff seriously. It's all just fun."  And some of you are indignant, “What’s wrong with astrology or mediums? I get some good information from my horoscope.”   If you belong to Christ, there is no need to look to the occult for help. In fact, the Scripture teaches us that dabbling in occult practices from astrology, to consulting mediums, to outright witchcraft is a forbidden practice, a sin, for Christ’s disciples. In the Old Testament, the Lord told His people, "I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people." (Leviticus 20:6, NIV) In the New Testament, Paul warned that "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." (1 Timothy 4:1, NIV)

Why this prohibition? First, we need to know that there is nothing to be gained from dabbling in alternative spirituality!  We have the Holy Spirit living in us, empowering us, and promising us security in the love of God. Occult practices may appear to offer many of the same benefits, but those who dabble in them find themselves enslaved.  There are only two sources for spiritual power- the Spirit of God or the Evil One. Satan and his dark forces are real and powerful. Christians must 'walk in the Light'  and have nothing to do with darkness.

We walk with God, His children, devoted to Him and kept within His arms. Don’t dabble in the darkness. Don’t even play with what you may think is just a little game.  Give yourself entirely to the Spirit.  Trust Him with the future. 

Here's a word from the Word. Let Him guide you today. He promised this to His people in ancient times and we rightly take this as our birthright, too.  "Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left." (Isaiah 30:21, NLT) 

"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. …And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. 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 8:15, 26-27, NLT)

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Gentle Shepherd

Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us,

For we need You to help us find our way.

Gentle Shepherd, come and feed us

For we need Your strength from day to day.

There's no other we can turn to,

Who can help us face another day.

Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us,

For we need You to help us find our way.

Gloria Gaither | William J. Gaither

© 1974 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management

CCLI License # 810055

It's fate, right?

The beautiful girl standing on the stage offered this explanation for her life as a model; “I won the DNA lottery.”  She is tall, thin; the ideal of physical beauty.  But, I am not quite ready to accept that her life is an accident, that there is no better reason for who she is and what she has done with her life than luck!

Do you wonder why things happen as they do?  Is it fate, a pre-determined course that we cannot alter?  Is it karma, the accumulated consequence of our choices in the past? Is there no really no why to be found because life is just a random set of occurrences, a wild ride for a brief interlude through time and this universe?   Or, has God pre-determined all of life, deciding how and why for us, leaving us no reason to ask why?

The Scripture assures that God’s knowledge encompasses the past, the present, and the future.  There is great peace to be found in Psalm 139 where the Spirit teaches us that “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”  (16, NIV)  He was not surprised by my conception. My choices today are known to Him. Yes, even the moment in which I will take my last breath is part of His knowing. Yet, the Bible is equally clear that He gives us freedom to choose, that our actions have real consequence. We are invited to ‘keep step with the Spirit.’ (Galatians 5:25) Our choices produce a harvest – good or bad – as we live.  God holds each of us accountable for our choices, something He could not justly do if we were without freedom to choose.

So what of the Word’s declaration that God has pre-destined us to be called His children?  He has determined that sin will be judged, that faith in Christ will produce eternal life, and that righteousness will be rewarded. Yes, there is pre-destination.  Jesus invites us to “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14, NIV)  So, what is your destination within the will of God?

If I get onto Interstate 95, and drive south far enough, I will inevitably end up in Miami. That’s where that road leads.  If I take Interstate 80, westbound, I will end up in San Francisco.  The designers of the system predetermined that.  With my destination in mind, I choose the road I take.

God has determined that if we serve Self, if we ignore His offer of grace through Christ, our destination will be a place without Him, without light and life.  That declaration is not up for a vote, will not change because you or I find it unacceptable. It is pre-destined!  He has also determined that when we respond to His invitation and receive, in faith, the life of the Spirit through Christ, that we will find ourselves at Home in His Presence eternally. "You also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-15, NIV)

What of those things that ‘happen’ to us along the way?  To err by making all of life a fixed set of choice and consequence leads only to great insecurity and/or becoming a slave to attempted perfectionistic control! Jesus cautioned His disciples about judging a man who was blind as being responsible for his own blindness because of some sin. His words remind us that we are part of a plan that sometimes is too big for us to grasp. "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." (John 9:1-3, NIV)  To decide that we are simply part of fate, or part of a pre-determined plan of God, will rob us of the joy of discovering God’s life and living in the center of His providence.

Meditate on this revelation of the purposes of God. As you do, may He reveal to you the interplay between His declared will and your privilege to choose, both working to bring Him honor and us joy!

"This is the Message I’ve been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It’s also the cause of all this trouble I’m in. But I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end. So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It’s as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us." (2 Timothy 1:11-14, The Message)

The War Inside of Me

The war inside of me

There are two distinct Jerry's - in me! If you’re concerned that I suffer from some personality disorder, have no fear. I am a spiritual man, made alive to God by the Holy Spirit, and a natural man, with an active sinful nature.    The spiritual nature in me loves God, is empowered by faith, loves others, lives to serve eternal purposes, is gentle and kind. The sinful nature, loves the things of this present world, is prone to fear, and is resistant to the will of God.

At night, as I quiet my mind and pray, thinking about the day now past, sometimes I rejoice in obedience and sometimes I feel regret, knowing that I have allowed the sinful nature to become dominant. Am I a real Christian? Absolutely. Christ Jesus has called me into His holy family and the Spirit of God lives in me. But, the sinful nature does not surrender easily, nor is its defeat automatic. Some teachers imply that a religious experience, a program, or a ritual  will bring instant victory and beautiful perfection in thought, word, and deed. How I would like for that to be true, but it isn't. It is a deception that leads to disillusionment and despair in the lives of many who hunger for true holiness. The sinful nature is overcome - day by day - by learning the Truth and by 'breathing in' the life of the Spirit. The Scripture says - "Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy." (Ephesians 4:20-24, NLT)  “Put off” and “renew” are a decision for today, tomorrow, and every day until we are at home with Christ.

Have you ever come home from a 'mountain top' experience- a spiritual retreat, a great time of worship, a week's vacation - and felt so full of God that you thought that temptation would never touch you again?  Filled up with love,  with joyful peace; overflowing in faith in those times it feels as though the ‘world, the flesh, and the Devil’ are distant memories, but vanquished. Times of renewal are just that.  Then, life begins to wear on us.  People pressure us. Temptations come at us. We grow tired. And, "I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." (Romans 7:21-23, NIV)  Devout Christians who work and serve at Christ’s call, will become drained, wearied, even bruised and bloodied.  Jesus, Himself, grew tired and knew when He needed to withdraw from the crowds to pray and rest. 

Here’s the challenge.  We must not believe the lie that we are victims, helpless, and defeated. Why?  Because, in Christ, sin and the sinful nature are already defeated, their power to condemn us broken. Paul’s reflection of the struggle with the sinful nature found in Romans 7 is not the last word.  In Romans 8, we are taught that our imperfection is exactly the reason that Christ died! If we could determine to be good enough on our own, we would not need a Savior. Our sinful nature is robed in His perfection. So, we are not condemned.  The Spirit comes to lead us to new ways, transforming us into the children of God. "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.” (Romans 8:12-15, NLT)

Put on the spiritual nature today. Let the truth of God change your way of thinking. In prayer, breathe in the life of the Spirit, which renews your hope and gives vision.   Take up the cross of Christ, which is the high and holy calling of all who follow Him, and suffer the death of Self gladly.    "And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials.  And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.  This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours.  This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon.  In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out." (Ephesians 6:10-18, The Message)

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10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

The sun comes up,
it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again.

Whatever may pass

and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes.

You're rich in love and You're slow to anger.

Your name is great and Your heart is kind.

For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing,

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find!

And on that day when my strength is failing,

The end draws near and my time has come.

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending,

Ten thousand years, and then forevermore.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

O my soul.

Worship His holy name!

Sing like never before,

O my soul,

I'll worship Your holy name.

Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman

© 2011 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

In Love With Jesus?

A long time ago, in high school chorus, I sang - "Love is a many-splendored thing, ... love is nature's way of giving, a reason to be living; the golden crown that makes a man a king!"  As a 16 year old kid, the real meaning of many-splendored loved was incomprehensible to me.  I know something of it now, with 38 years of marriage.  Yes, I am ‘in love!’  It is a multi-faceted experience involving passion, devotion, sacrifice, discipline, and daily maintenance. The tease of desire chips away at fidelity if there is no discipline of the eyes and heart. The friction of the stuff of ordinary life will bring irritation unless the love of God’s Spirit is invited into our lives, each day.  Thankfully, I am not ‘in love’ with Bev like I was in 1974. It was a superficial attraction then. Today we are one in heart. I love her deeply; our lives interwoven by shared faith, shared family, and blended spiritual gifts.

Are you 'in love' with Christ Jesus?

I don't mean to imply that we need a teen-age crush on Jesus. That’s silly! But, we do need to feel passion for our God. Christianity without passion just isn't Biblical! The grandest love story of all time is the story of God's love for us, written in the life and death of Jesus.  Just as I cannot explain what I feel for my wife with bullet point logic, so we cannot reduce the love of our Abba to a neat paragraph of theological jargon. Jesus did it with a story. He told of a wayward, willful son who came home to the arms of the Waiting Father after wasting his fortune and ruining his life! The young man expected condemnation and a life separate from Dad.  What did he find? Love!  "And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." That is compelling stuff! It defies logic, cannot be explained. It’s just love.

When we bring our scientific mind to our faith and we make the Gospel a thing of systematic theologies with points built into a structure of reason, it is like describing falling in love by talking about hormones. Of course, God’s love for us can be described just as love can be partially explained by talking about sexual attraction, but…  there is more than just reason. There is mystery!  The Bible is is "God's Love story!" Genesis 3 tells us that God came walking in the Garden, just to be with His created beings, a Divine Lover. The most common imagery that the Hebrews used to describe their relationship to God was marriage, and it became the language of the Church who is the 'Bride of Christ.' The ancient prophets railed on the people who went after other gods calling their perfidy - spiritual adultery.

The Bible speaks of our covenant with God, not a contract! He loves us, draws us and we love Him in return. The love is not calculated, nor is it based on some equation of return. It is abandonment of ourselves to Him.
Ah, friend, do you love Him?  If we love Him, we will stop playing “let’s make a deal” with God.  Our faith will go way beyond - "I believe some facts and You give me the key to Heaven." We must love Him for life today, not just for Heaven in eternity.

Let this 'love letter' inspire you today. Read of God’s many-splendored love for you and bring your heart home to Him.  "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." (Ephesians 1:3-6, NIV) So,  "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge,” Why? So, “that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  (Ephesians 3:16-19, NIV)  You will become so full of His Presence as to make Him and you indistinguishable, like a married couple who are one, each given to the other irrevocably.

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I'm calling out to You,

There must something more;

Some deeper place to find,

Some secret place to hide,

Where I've not gone before!

Where my soul is satisfied,

and my sin is put to death;

and I can hear Your voice,

and Your purpose is my choice,

as natural as a breath.

The Love I knew before;

When You first touched my life,

I need You to restore,

I want You to revive!

Could You place in my heart,

A passion for Jesus,

A hunger that seizes,

my passion for You?

My one desire,

my greatest possession,

My only confession,

my passion for You!

Passion for Jesus

Author: Brian Houston