"God told me ... "

In early May, I felt what I believed to be the stirring of God’s Spirit telling me that it was time to make a change in a situation in my life. I did not want to deal with this thing and the choice I felt the Spirit impressing on me was one I knew would involve real sacrifice. So what did I do?  I shared the thought with several friends and asked them to pray with me. I invited their counsel.  After a couple of weeks, I knew the answer and set about preparing myself for the change. Then, last week, I suddenly was confronted with an urgent call to do the very thing that I felt God had asked me to do weeks ago.  God knew what was ahead and prepared me.  I am so thankful that I listened, so when this change was ‘forced’ on me, I was emotionally prepared.

“God told me” is a phrase that always gets my attention. I want to pay attention to what He says and I believe that HE still speaks today. Sometimes I hear people use God to justify their own decision. They want to change jobs and suddenly they decide that God told them to do it. They want to leave their church and instead of just saying “We want a change,” they claim that “God told me.”  Then, much more positively, there are times when the Spirit-filled person simply knows that the Lord has spoken and that they must follow His direction.  Paul says, "Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives." (Galatians 5:25, NLT)

If somebody claims that God spoke to give them a special exemption from moral imperatives of Scripture so they can abandon responsibility for their family, or step away from discipleship, or break with spiritual authority - urge them to seek help! They are either deceived or actually mentally unbalanced.  However, if a growing Christian believes he is hearing the quiet insistent voice of the Spirit urging a choice for spiritual service, to deal with some life-crippling habit, or to invest himself more deeply in spiritual matters - encourage him! That person may tell you that he is 'having a crisis' but often God calls us out of the ordinary by bringing circumstances into life that drive us to our knees.

Do you expect God to speak when you ask Him to guide you? 
Do you pause to listen?  

That Christian who knows the voice of the Lord is a courageous, steady, dedicated, and effective servant of the Kingdom!

The Scripture is our gold standard of Truth. The Holy Spirit will not speak to us in ways that contradict His moral law. To claim 'new revelation or new light' is a dangerous thing, especially when the person claiming it is isolated, in rebellion, or struggling with some overwhelming situation.  A sudden lurch into some ‘new truth’ that God has supposedly revealed can and does lead people over a cliff of self-destruction. Every cult on the planet started when someone claimed that God had shown them new truth!

But, if we keep our hearts open to Him, if we are living in close supportive fellowship with other mature Christians, if we are full of the Word of God – we can hear His voice.  He will guide. He will comfort. He will call. He will challenge.  So, pray that the Spirit will speak to you about things like how you can better show love to your family, about the places in your life where you have grown careless about His purpose, about the things you have come to love more than you love Him, about who He wants to love through you, etc.!

Here is a word from the Word. Word of God, speak! "The Holy Spirit says, “Today, please listen; don’t turn a deaf ear . . . So watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as it’s still God’s Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn’t slow down your reflexes." (Hebrews 3:7-13, The Message)

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“Tempted, Tried, and Sometimes Failing!”

When I feel that craving for a snack around 8 pm just saying ‘no’ is almost useless. I keep thinking about getting something to eat.  The calorie count, when I had my last meal; all the reason in the world is drowned out by the craving for a sweet treat or some chips.  So, how do I defeat the lure of the craving?  The best way is to get something healthy, a carrot, some fruit, even a tall glass of water can help.

We can smile about a late night snack craving, but what about more serious temptations?  They are no laughing matter. Our lives can be wrecked by the lure of money, sex, pleasure, or whatever it is that promises to meet our perceived need.

Temptation is almost always about meeting a legitimate need in an illegitimate way.  We must have money to function in life, but if we succumb to the temptation that tells us we would finally feel fulfilled if we just grabbed more, we sin. We are made for intimacy but if we let the lure of cheap sex overtake us, we will actually be more alone after than we were at first! And so it goes.

We all deal with temptation. Jesus, the Perfect Man, was tempted! Memorize this text so that you will realize that your experience is not unique to you: "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT)  To be tempted reveals that we are human. There is no sin in feeling the lure of sin!  But, we cannot just give in. We are called to stand, to resist evil, to be overcomers.

Ever try to conquer temptation with will-power alone? Your experience was/is similar to my craving for night-time snacks, right? Reason, self-talk, resolutions, rubber bands on the wrist… eventually do not work anymore.  That is why we need a Savior!  He will forgive us, free us from shame, and change our thoughts. The Holy Spirit will come to live in us and, in Him, we find real power to become different, to see the Truth, and to understand how to meet our needs in the way God intends. Victory is ours, but it is not easy, quick, or painless! Christians commonly think that they will find complete freedom from temptation when we reach some plateau of spirituality. Alas, it’s not to be. Temptation will change with maturity, but it stays with us, coming from different things.  

Jesus met the devil in the wilderness after a long fast. He was weak in body, hungry, and exhausted. He met each offer with the truth of the Scripture. He did not rant at the devil, he did not whine about his situation. He boldly said, “It is written…” and after seeing that He was full in a way that allowed no success, we read that "the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus." (Matthew 4:11, NLT)  We, too, need to meet temptation, regardless if it comes from the culture that surrounds us, the appetites of our body, or the devil himself, by being filled with the Word. Don’t misunderstand this. I am not talking about taking snippets of Scripture and saying them like a slogan!  We must consume the Word, study and understand it, and weave the Truth into both our conscious and unconscious thoughts.

The Psalm asks - "How can a young man keep his way pure?”  And then the answer comes - “By living according to your word.” Now, note what that means. “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:9-11, NIV)

Our word from the Word today are wise, encouraging words about temptation. Live them!

"If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.

If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. I write this, dear children, to guide you out of sin.

But if anyone does sin, we have a Priest-Friend in the presence of the Father: Jesus Christ, righteous Jesus. When he served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good—not only ours, but the whole world’s " (1 John 1:8-2:2, The Message)

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Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Hallelujah, what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving;
He is with me to the end.

Jesus, what a Friend for sinners,
Jesus, Lover of my soul.
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Jesus, what a Strength in weakness,
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing;
He, my Strength, my vict'ry wins.

Jesus, I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His and He is mine.

Public domain

Who's At Fault?

On a quick trip to the Midwest on Monday and Tuesday, I drove through some of the small towns there. I saw once lovely old homes along wide streets that showed evidence of a past prosperity.  But, now those same streets were cracked and unkempt. The houses were decaying, paint peeling, porches sagging.  “What happened?” I wondered. A young black man working the desk at the motel where I stayed nodded at the TV where a neighborhood shooting death was being reported and said, “I live on that block and I’m afraid to go outside anymore.”  “What happened?” I wondered.  I watched several of the speakers at the Republican convention on Monday evening and concluded that they are angry!  What I heard was a cry of rage at the state of the nation. “What happened?” I wondered.

This week the Republicans in Cleveland will blame the Democrats. Next week, the Democrats in Philadelphia will blame the Republicans. And, no matter who gets elected in November, most likely we’ll be dealing with the same malaise a year from now. So, who’s at fault? Take a look in the mirror. Say to that person, “I own my piece of this mess and I’m going to do my part to solve it.”   

Alone, you or I, cannot solve economic problems brought on by trade agreements made in Washington or Wall Street deals that feed the rich at the expense of the poor. Alone, we cannot solve the complex social issues that have perpetuated poverty and crime. But, together, we can turn the focus of this land from Self to God.  It begins with each one of us finding a place on our knees and dealing with our own sins.

Americans need to learn a thing or two from the 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. How does a person start the road to sobriety and recovery? The first step is admitting that there is a real problem and that the problem is himself. It’s not his wife’s problem, his parent’s problem, or his boss’s fault! “Hi, I’m Jim and I’m an alcoholic,” he stands and says to a room of strangers. And, thus starts the long road of learning to accept responsibility, to make choices, and to work toward transformation.

If we hope to see our land healed, we need to say, “Hi, I’m an American and I’m a sinner!” Not a popular message, is it? It is so much easier to blame somebody else for what’s wrong. However, until we deal with our own greed, lust, hatred, lack of forgiveness, anger, racism, gossip, pride, or _______________ - we will not change. If we do not change, neither will America. Our politicians will not rescue us. In our republic the government is us, and therefore to change policies we have to change us.

Christian, we need to lead the way to change! 
Note my choice of words. We cannot point the way to change, nor can we condemn others to drive them to change, nor can we just talk about the way to change. We LEAD the way by being transformed. People who are really born of the Spirit, who are alive in Christ, are in the process of transformation from sinner to saint.  If you think that I am just talking about getting people back to church, think again. 

Why have millions deserted churches over the last 20 years? Because religion without relationship only perpetuates the problem. Outsiders can see the hypocrisy of those who profess the orthodox creed of the Lordship of Christ and then live as their own god and they want nothing to do with it anymore. In contrast, there is an amazing beauty in those who have the Spirit working in their hearts and minds, who serve as Jesus’ hands in this world.

Here is a word from the Word. May the Spirit of God move us.
"But what happens when we live God’s way? 

He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

 Legalism (writing lengthy lists of religious rules) is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives." (Galatians 5:22-25, The Message)

Jesus, be Lord of my life!
Jesus, save ME from MY sins!
Jesus, pour the Spirit into my life!
Jesus, change ME!  Amen

Throwing bombs, building bridges?

One of God’s gifts to me is my administrative assistant. Yes, she does her work well and for that I am thankful, but the greater gift is bringing a different perspective on life. Melina, 30 years younger than I, challenges my opinions on food, the environment, politics, art, women’s issues, etc.  She is courageous enough from time to time, to point out that that others may see it differently!

Over the decade that we have worked in adjoining offices, we have caused each other to be more thoughtful and to better understand the world around us.

The tragedy of this moment in America is the way we are divided – rich and poor, black and white, Republican and Democrat, Christian and Muslim, male and female … it is a long, long list. And this ought to be a concern for those of us who follow Christ, not something we endorse or accept! Jesus taught that the primary marker of His disciples would be love; not the sappy, romantic stuff of the movies, but a radical concern for the well-being of other people. Furthermore, He reminds us that the path to the greatest joy is not in protecting our turf, but in building bridges. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9, KJV) The Message amplifies the verse - “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family." (Matthew 5:9, The Message)

Why are we so divided? Mostly it is fear that drives us apart. We have a sense that we are threatened economically, socially, spiritually, even physically and the worst traits rise to the fore, angry accusations, bitter feelings of resentment, and finger pointing blame.  Rather than working for solutions to the very real challenges of our time, so often we tend to resort to making ‘those people’ the scapegoat. If we did not have to deal with ‘them’ we would be better off. Depending on our own place, ‘those people’ become those of different economic status, political persuasion, religion, or color! But, truthfully the problem belongs to all of us and each of us has a piece of the puzzle in our hands that will contribute to the whole.

How can we make it better? It must start with the Church, with people whose fear has been replaced with security in the Love of the Father. “Perfect love casts out fear,” the Bible says. Yes, in context, John is speaking of fear of God’s judgment, the principle is applicable in other places. When I love someone, I do not fear their difference.  I may continue to disagree with them, but I learn to accept them, accommodate them, and yes, to be influenced to change by rubbing shoulders with them.  The first generation of Christians was remarkable for their lack of social division. In a society where boundaries between slave and free, Roman citizen and non-citizen, Greek and Jew, were fixed and seldom crossed, Christians met together, loved each other, and became a real community.  It was evidence of the supernatural power of the Spirit. Paul told those early Christians that their old divisions had disappeared because "you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28, NLT)

My heart’s desire for our local congregation is to reflect that kind of loving acceptance in our community. No, I do not want the veneer of ‘nice’ to merely hide thoughts of discrimination! My prayer is that our love for Christ will unite us, the many different threads of the tapestry of life, into something beautiful in the service of the Lord. How about you? Would you work to share that vision?

Would you pray that God would secure you in His gracious love, driving out your fears and replacing it with the knowledge that “He’s got the whole world in His hands?”  Would you learn to listen to ‘those people’ and discover who they are, even as you invite them to join you at the table of God’s grace given us through Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord?  And, in making peace we will allow glimpses of the Kingdom to come to shine through us. Could it be any better than that?

Here is a word from the Word. "For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.  -  "I… beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace." (Ephesians 2;14-22, 4:1-3, NLT)

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 We Will Stand

 Sometimes it's hard for me to understandWhy we pull away from each other so easilyEven though we're all walking the same roadYet we build dividing wallsBetween our brothers and ourselves

 But I don't care what label you may wearIf you believe in Jesus you belong with meThe bond we share is all I care to seeAnd we'll change the world foreverIf you will join with meJoin and sing sing 

You're my brother you're my sisterSo take me by the handTogether we will work until He comesThere's no foe that can defeat usWhen we're walking side by sideAs long as there is loveWe will stand

 The day will come when we will be as oneAnd with a mighty voiceTogether we will proclaim that JesusJesus is KingIt will echo through the earthIt will shake the nationsAnd the world will see that

 You're my brother you're my sisterSo take me by the handTogether we will work until He comesThere's no foe that can defeat usWhen we're walking side by sideAs long as there is loveWe will stand

James Hollihan | Russ Taff | Tori Taff© 1983 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.) CCLI License # 810055