Well, it's obvious, isn't it?

Within one tenth of a second we form an opinion of people we meet.  Our mind takes in their face, height, weight, tone of voice, race, age, posture, and language, as well as other factors. Processing that information we decide, almost instantaneously, if a person is trustworthy, if we want to talk further to them, along with many other conclusions. How accurate are we? Surprisingly, first impressions are not as superficial as they might sound. They serve a valuable purpose in our busy world, helping us to interact with others. As most of us could testify, some first impressions are far wide of the mark and, in time, we find that a person we did not find attractive to us is really someone who has much to offer us.  Then, too, some are quite skilled at pretense and make a great impression but  not long after we find that the reality is nothing like the image!

Paul, the apostle, who was known as Saul in the early part of his life, got things very wrong at first.  He took in information about Jesus Christ and concluded that He could not be Messiah, that He was a terrible threat to Judaism, and that His followers were a deluded, dangerous lot!  He persecuted the Church with zeal until he had a personal encounter that changed his first impressions.  On the road to Damascus, when Jesus appeared to him to ask, “Saul, why are persecuting me?” his mind and heart were changed.  The Pharisee became a Christian. The man devoted to the Law became a messenger of God’s grace.

Writing to the church in Corinth, and to us, he said;  "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer." (2 Corinthians 5:16, NIV)  The sight of the Christian is not informed by the obvious.  With the help of the Spirit, he sees deeper, past the surface.  “No more determining who is worthy of being within the reach of God’s grace,”  Paul says.  Christian, we must never, based on first impressions, conclude that someone is beyond God’s salvation.  “He could never be a Christian,” is a statement of prejudice we cannot make.  Don’t misunderstand. He is not saying that we cannot evaluate the actions of others.  What God calls sin, we call sin. What God desires, we love.  But, we are not to make the final judgment about who is ‘in Christ,’ or called by Him! But, Paul acknowledges that at first he even got it wrong about the Son of God!  Nobody thought Saul a candidate for conversion, but God saw faith and met the man where he was.

The resurrection life of Christ starts inside, hidden at first from view, and makes itself evident in time with a transformed life. So, Paul  tells us, “Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other.”  (The Message 2 Cor. 5:17-18) God sends the message. You and I are just messengers. We don’t get to discriminate or decide to whom we will speak. "We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, “Be reconciled to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:20-21, NLT)

Are you unconsciously deciding who should hear the Gospel? Are you deciding that your friend, sophisticated and apparently in no need of God, has no hunger for Christ? Are you picking and choosing who you should love enough to tell them of Christ’s love?  Stop it!  What’s ‘obvious’ to us is not necessarily the truth. Christ died for all. We extend the Gospel to all and God alone sees and knows which heart will respond to His offer of grace with that flicker of faith that leads to a new life.

Here’s the word from the Word. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18, NIV)

_______________

I'll Fly Away

Death is ugly.  The corpse looks like the one we loved but does not act like it! It is lifeless. We devise elaborate rituals to conceal the true nature of the corpse from ourselves. We dress it, put it in a decorated box, put rouge on the cheeks, light the room with rose-colored light to cast the right kind of glow but the truth wins out.  The corpse is devoid of the spirit that gave life. It has about as much appeal as an abandoned house, which it exactly what it is!

Paul calls death the ‘last enemy’ that Christ will conquer. In his first letter to the church of Corinth, he makes a lengthy appeal to those Christians to remember that here is not all, that what is so real to us at this time is actually but the prelude to the final reality.  The inescapable fact is that "everyone dies because we all belong to Adam,” but that’s not the whole truth. The rest of the story says, that  “everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life." (1 Corinthians 15:22, NLT)  Apparently that group of Christians was slow to grasp the promise and implications of the hope of eternal life.  In his second letter to them, Paul once again reminds them of the inevitability of death but he is not morbid!  Instead, he sees death as a doorway for Christians, a moment of release and realization of what God planned for us all along.  "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians 5:1-5, NIV)

Death does not make us disembodied spirits drifting in the cosmos. The Holy Spirit reveals to us that the moment of our death is a change of address. We stop being transients and finally have a home. Now we live in a tent, there we will have a dwelling, a house not made with human hands. 

How do we know that Heaven is real? Some would point to the plethora of books that claim to tell the stories of those who have come back to share their glimpses. Some of those are sensational, clearly the product of human imagination; others more thoughtful.  But, the real reason we hope for Heaven is that the Holy Spirit bridges that chasm between time and eternity! He is of the eternal, yet He lives in us. In moments that we are most aware of His presence, we are able to peer over the window sill of time into the very real place prepared for us.  The Spirit is the ‘deposit,’ God’s down payment given to us, that assures us of the reality of our hope.

So what’s the point of all this?  Is not life so full that to think of Heaven is just a waste of time, an attempt to avoid the stark truth?  I remember being reminded often that I must not be so Heavenly-minded that I am no earthly good.  That’s not a true statement!  The assurance of Heaven keeps us on course, it is our true North!   Yes, someday bye and bye, I’ll fly away.  Those I love will be left, sadly, with a corpse, but I’ll be home with my Father.

Here’s the word from the Word. "Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now? It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God! With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort." (1 Corinthians 15:55-58, The Message)

____________

I'll Fly Away

Some glad morning when this life is o'er

I'll fly away

To a home on God's celestial shore

I'll  fly away

I'll fly away O glory

I'll fly away in the morning)

When I die hallelujah by and by

I'll fly away

When the shadows of this life have grown

I'll fly away

Like a bird from prison bars has flown

I'll  fly away

Just a few more weary days and then

I'll fly away

To a land where joys shall never end

I'll fly away

Albert E. Brumley

© 1932 Hartford Music Company. Renewed 1960 Albert E. Brumley And Sons (Admin. by ClearBox Rights, LLC)

CCLI License # 810055

Playing penny ante games?

Stuart and Jill Briscoe

The couple leading our Pastors’ Retreat inspired me! He’s been serving Jesus for 67 years, she for about 60. At 84 years of age, he’s not ready to retire. At a time when most would be looking for a rocking chair near the fire, Stuart and Jill still spend 80% of the year traveling the globe preaching the Gospel. Don’t think that he’s a dour, humorless man bent under the weight of responsibility or wearing the grim face of a martyr. His humor is dry, his face reflects joy.  Both are as serious as one can be about the mission that everyone should hear the Gospel of Christ.  Heaven is real and so is hell, and therefore, theirs is an all-consuming passion! 

It’s good, every now and then, to get back to the basics, isn’t it? The stark question of eternity – with Christ or forever apart from Him – begs an answer.  Most every other thing we do - building businesses, planting gardens, even loving our family – has a finite limit in time. Sooner or later we will leave those things behind. What then?  If we know Christ, we step through the door He opens to us to eternal life.  Jesus said, "There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. . . .I am going to prepare a place for you . . .  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." (John 14:2-3, NLT)  But, what of those without that glorious hope?

Life can be wasted playing penny ante games!  God calls us to raise the stakes, to put everything on the table, playing for keeps. Does it seem too much to risk? Can we, to stay with my metaphor, bet our very lives on His promise?  Need we even ask that? Paul wrote his final letter from a dungeon in Rome, a place so awful as to be beyond our imagination.  He knew that execution was near at hand. Was he full of regrets, wishing he had pursued his vocation of tent-making?  Did he wonder if it mattered, or if God had failed him?  You be the judge as you read his words to Timothy. "God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, (nothing to regret!) for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:11-13, NLT)

To make Christ a hobby for Sunday mornings, to push the pursuit of God and His purposes to some secondary spot on our list of priorities, is to live an adventure that misses the point entirely. We were not created for trivial pursuits; we were created to know Him, to glorify Him, and to enjoy His Presence forever.  What can never be forgotten (and the devil tries to obscure this fact!) is that the heart that is set on Heaven and Home, finds the greatest serenity now. Through up’s and down’s, successes and failures, sickness and health, the child of God knows a ‘peace that passes understanding’ and a life of abundance that nothing and no one can steal.

Are you holding back from full commitment? Are you playing it safe?  Have you lost sight, temporarily, of the goal?

The word from the Word says “If any of you wants to be my follower,ou must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26, NLT)

Raise the stakes, play for keeps, put it all on the table!

__________________

Jesus You Are My Life

You are my life,

Oh precious Christ!

You are, to me,

The pearl of greatest price.

My love for You will never die,

Jesus, You are my life.

I come to You.

I run to You.

There's no greater joy

Than knowing You.

O Holy Fire,

Love's purest light,

Burn all desires ‘till

You are my one delight!

Oh conquering King,

Conquer my heart,

And make of me

A pleasing gift to God.

My love for You 
will never die.

Jesus, You are my life!

Steve Fry

A Captive of Doubts and Fears?

Two thoughts struggled inside of my head.  It’s called ‘cognitive dissonance’ holding two conflicting ideas at the same time.  A part of me that was tired and discouraged by circumstances of life thought “God is not listening or does not care about you or your work.” That idea circled at the edges of my mind looking for openings to become the primary thought! Knowing the Word and having long experience walking with God, another part of me held onto the thought that He is a faithful Father, that His promises are true, His purposes always prevail. It was a battle. Every part of me was involved – body, soul, and spirit. When those spiritual wars break out, I know I cannot win them alone. My confession is my weakness and His strength. Jesus’ words about His mission give me strength for He says, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:16-20, NIV)

In Faith and Doubt, (Zondervan, 2008) John Ortberg teaches that we ‘believe’ on three levels.  The depth of belief, he says,  is directly connected to the ways that we practice those beliefs – lives changed, character transformed.

There are public convictions, things “that I want other people to think I believe, even though I may not really believe them.” In politics this is called ‘spin.’ The public’s perception of what the politician thinks is more important even than what is true.  How does this play in our Christian life?  Christians universally claim to believe in life after death.  We say we believe that Heaven is our true home. But does the way we live show that we are really living for eternity’s rewards? Or, are our words just ‘spin?’

There are private convictions, things that “I sincerely think I believe,” but that prove to be more illusory in real life. Peter, on the night of the Last Supper, heard Jesus speak of the coming defection of his friends. “You will all fall away,” He told. Peter thought he knew his convictions and replied, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” (Mark 14:29, NIV) He really thought, at that moment, that he was going to stick by the One he loved. But, Jesus knew otherwise. “Peter,” He said, “before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will have denied knowing me three times!” Jesus knew Peter better than he knew himself.

We may claim convictions but until they are tested we may not know the truth, even about ourselves. Thankfully, as we learn from Jesus’ restoration of Peter, even if our private convictions fail in the critical moment, He is a faithful Savior who pursues us. On the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus found Peter, a man of doubt and shame over his denial of the Lord. He led him back to that moment of failure, and on Peter’s confession He forgave him and commissioned him to go and ‘feed my sheep.’

There are core convictions that produce life-changing spirituality. Ortberg illustrates this with the law of gravity! We do not jump off cliffs because we know that severe injury or death will result. We believe it to our core.  Shaping core convictions are those things we accept as Truth. Our minds must be fed, our hearts must be open to the revelation that the Spirit brings.  Our will must be yielded to Him. Those choices, in the face of doubt, deepens our faith to accept what the Bible says about God’s love and forgiveness, about judgment and salvation, about Christ and the Cross, about the life of the Spirit – and as those beliefs work their way to our core, processed and becoming part of who we are– our lives inevitably change.

Are you wrestling with cognitive dissonance today? Never forget that there is a Deceiver who hates God and good. Evil’s strength is in dangling a half-truth or even an outright lie in front of us, making it appealing. How do we defeat him and build faith that keeps us?

First – immersion in the Scripture!
The Bible shows us who God is, how the world works, and what is true. Constant exposure to the stories, doctrines, and promises of the Word changes our core convictions.

Second – confession of sin and repentance!
If we keep on living in ways we know are wrong, we slide into self-deception. We learn to rationalize and justify actions we once knew were wrong. As self-deception deepens, we are less conscious of hypocrisy. That is why we must own our failures and do what is necessary to turn from disobedience.

Third – intimacy with the Holy Spirit!
Ortberg writes, “If your Mom was in the room, watching you all of the time, you would avoid all kinds of negative behavior.” How true! Don’t we believe that God, the Holy Spirit, is always in the room with us? Don’t we believe that He sees what we’re looking at on the TV, knows what we’re writing in our email, knows when we’re lying, etc.? Apparently, for many, that is not a core conviction, because they sin quite readily when no human is looking! However, when we invite the Spirit to live in us, when we cultivate a consciousness of His Presence through worship and prayerfulness, we are changed because He here now.

Disciple, what is your true creed?
The answer is not necessarily what you learned at church from your pastor! The only way to really know what your core convictions are is to observe your life over the long term. The words you say at church, even the songs you sing to comfort yourself, are not always accurate revealers of what you really believe. What you do shows what you  believe!

Here’s the word from the Word. Jesus said “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:43-45, NLT)

You are not a captive of doubt and fear. Jesus sets us free! He heals our vision so that we recognize the Truth. So, resist the devil. Then, fill up that treasury with His Word. Discard the clutter of sin. And, stay intimately connected to the Vine, being a living branch. Faith, like muscle, grows stronger when it is exercised.

__________

My Faith Looks Up To Thee (Olivet)

My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Savior divine.

Now hear me while I pray,

Take all my guilt away.

O let me from this day

Be wholly Thine!

May Thy rich grace impart,

Strength to my fainting heart,

My zeal inspire!

As Thou hast died for me,

O may my love to Thee,

Pure, warm, and changeless be;

A living fire.

While life's dark maze I tread,

And griefs around me spread,

Be Thou my guide!

Bid darkness turn to day,

Wipe sorrow's tears away,

Nor let me ever stray,

From Thee aside.

When ends life's passing dream,

When death's cold threatening stream,

Shall o'er me roll!

Blest Savior, then in love,

Fear and distrust remove,

O lift me safe above,

A ransomed soul!

Lowell Mason | Ray Palmer

© Words: Public Domain