He Leads, I’ll Follow

In 1977, I read an article in TIME magazine about a town in Wyoming that was booming.  Coal and oil were turning a sleepy cow town into a thriving little city, full of young workers. I was familiar with Gillette, WY. My Dad, before entering ministry, took us there each summer when he was buying lambs for his sheep company.  Reading that article, I sensed the calling of the Spirit to go there. I went to prayer and, after a week or so, I broached the subject of a cross-country move to my wife. Late August found us traveling to Wyoming. We had no job waiting for us, very little money to sustain us, and a big dream pulling us westward!  

The next 12 months were full of HUGE life lessons that helped mature me, growing faith in me. The ripple effect of that decision changed the course of several other lives as well.  Then, one year later we returned to New Jersey where I became an Associate Pastor. Our year in Wyoming looked like a fool's errand to many but there is no doubt that God led Bev and me to that little town. It was not for the purpose which we thought. God used that place to develop our spiritual maturity.

Do you live in a way that lets God lead?

Christians should be led by the Spirit. Paul says that "those who are led by the Spirit are children of God." (Galatians 6.14)  Before claiming that God is telling us to go here or there, buy this or that, to make some major life change, we need to recognize the voice of the Lord and understand what discernment means. Too many times Christians claim to be “led by the Spirit” when in reality they are just following a feeling or responding to some emotional impulse. There is no substitute for wise counsel and submission to the revealed Truth of the Word as we walk with God!  In our nation many value feelings over thinking especially when it comes to the practice of faith.  Knowing God for some equates to “having an emotional experience.”   One author points out that letting go of doctrine and accountability leaves us adrift on “the vast sea of subjectivity … carried by the turbulent winds of half-truth blow onto the vicious crags of confusion and mindless spirituality." - Full Gospel, Fractured Minds? - Zondervan, 2005

In 2020, given the upheavals in our lives brought about by COVID19-  grief over losses, angst about health, coping with government restrictions on our lives and economic losses – the value of knowing that we can be led by God’s Spirit is inestimable. Personal peace and the witness of faith become evident in those whose minds and hearts are guided by the Lord.  Yes, Christian, God speaks today.  He says, "Come now, let us reason together.” Isaiah 1:18 (NIV) Spirit-led people live with a deep, life-shaping faith but not a blind one! Paul encourages us to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1 (NKJV) Note the word, "reasonable." We need not ‘lose our minds’ to be led by the Spirit.

It is not a lack of faith to examine the claim of that person who says she is being ‘led the Spirit.’ Asking God to give for a discerning mind is not the same as refusing to follow His lead. It is a humble recognition that we are imperfect, that we can get it wrong.  Christian history is replete with stories of charismatic leaders who were given too much credence, who led God’s people into foolish and destructive situations.  John gives us this warning: "do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." 1 John 4:1 (NLT)   The passage goes on to say that the primary test to determine who is a genuine 'prophet' - that is one who is claiming to hear from God and speak for God- is the way he conducts himself day to day.  Is there clear evidence of submission to Jesus Christ as Lord? Rebellious rogues who recognizes no authority bring disrepute to Christ’s Church.

There is great boldness for the believe to be found in knowing what God says and following His lead!  It’s time for mature disciples to ‘wait on the Lord’ and having heard His voice, to stand courageously as they invite others with Paul’s words - " Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1, KJV)  Have you heard the Spirit’s call? Are you letting Him lead? People of the Spirit, led by Him into works of faith, make His name glorious and build His kingdom. He leads, I’ll follow.

Here is a word from the Word.  "If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking." (James 1:5, NLT)  "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you." (James 4:7-8, NLT)

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He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me O blessed thought

O words with heavenly comfort fraught

Whate'er I do where'er I be

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me

He leadeth me He leadeth me

By His own hand He leadeth me

His faithful follower I would be

For by His hand He leadeth me

Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom

Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom

By water's calm o'er troubled sea

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me

Lord I would clasp Thy hand in mine

Nor ever murmur nor repine

Content whatever lot I see

Since 'tis my God that leadeth me

And when my task on earth is done

When by Thy grace the victory's won

E'en death's cold waves I would not flee

Since Thou through Jordan leadeth me

Joseph Henry Gilmore | William Batchelder Bradbury

© Words: Public Domain

Those Empty Eyes

 This CoffeeBreak is not sweet, nor is it uplifting. The video of a man dying on a Minneapolis street with the knee of another uniformed man pressed into his neck haunts me this morning. I do not know how the man in custody came to be lying there, nor why 4 officers felt a need to restrain him.  What I cannot escape are the empty eyes of the man who let another die under his knee as people pled with him.

He stared back at a crowd which included children, stuck his hand in his pocket in the most casual way, and the man died while people cried. Today my guess is that he rationalizes what he did by saying he was ‘just doing his job.’ It's a line with a long history. Many of those charged with war atrocities in the 20^th century offered the defense of ‘just following orders,’ another way to say ‘just doing my job.’

We like to characterize those who commit terrible acts as monsters, don’t we?  We want to be convinced that they must be horrible and twisted in some way that distinguishes them from us; except that they are not. Acts may be monstrous but they are done by human beings who eat, sleep, breath, have families just like you and me. 

 Evil is real. Apart from God’s redemptive good, it grows like mold, killing us inside out. When we allow ourselves to be dehumanized by a society that turns us into a cog in the machine, evil flourishes. When we let ourselves be convinced that hurting another is just part of our job, we become capable of terrible things.  

Evil gives us empty eyes. We cannot see the cost to others in what we do, cannot appreciate the humanity of another, are blinded to the suffering that comes from our words and actions. Those eyes that are empty of empathy are far more common than we like to admit. Who among us can honestly say we have not demeaned another?

 Perhaps it is ‘just a joke’ about someone that makes them less.
Perhaps it is the rage of a spouse that allows him to have his own way in the household.

Perhaps it is the subtle snub of someone we think is lesser in some way.

Perhaps it is the manipulative action of a supervisor that steals the dignity of a laborer.

Perhaps it is the religious intolerance that makes ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ with dogma.

Some men dragged a woman ‘caught in adultery’ to Jesus for judgment. With empty eyes they demanded that He judge her, too, because this was the ‘the Law.’ But Jesus truly saw her, loved her, and asked the same of her accusers. “See yourselves first. Are you without sin?” He asked. “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7-8, NIV) Seeing, they slipped away, leaving Him to offer redemption to the woman.  Ah, those Eyes of Jesus. May we see as He sees.

The wisdom literature of the Word reminds us of a choice to make. "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you." (Proverbs 4:23-25, NIV) What are you allowing to fill your inner thoughts?  Jesus was clear that what we say is clear evidence of what we think! Listen to your unguarded words and you will get a glimpse of your soul’s content.

Here is where it gets hopeful. We are not helpless before evil. Hearts can be renewed, empty eyes can see again. There is a Savior, a Healer, the Lord of Love and Life.

Of Him, Paul writes "God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault." (Colossians 1:18-22, NLT)  

And when we come to Him and find forgiveness and new life, we then can see. So, "Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that." (Ephesians 5:1-2, The Message)

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The Power Of Your Love

Lord I come to You

Let my heart be changed renewed

Flowing from the grace

That I found in You

And Lord I've come to know

The weaknesses I see in me

Will be stripped away

By the pow'r of Your love

Hold me close

Let Your love surround me

Bring me near

Draw me to Your side

And as I wait

I'll rise up like the eagle

And I will soar with You

Your Spirit leads me on

In the pow'r of Your love

Lord unveil my eyes

Let me see You face to face

The knowledge of Your love

As You live in me

Lord renew my mind

As Your will unfolds in my life

In living ev'ry day

By the pow'r of Your love

Geoff Bullock

© 1992 Geoff Bullock Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

Do your job!

Bill Belichick, coach of the NE Patriot football team, is known for his team philosophy: “Do your job!” He’s a no-nonsense coach who expects that every man on the squad will perform at the highest level so that the team will benefit. Everyone matters. From the weight room to the practice field, Belichick reminds young often undisciplined players that they are there to win games. That is ‘the’ job. Apparently the coach is onto something. The Pats have an enviable record of wins.

Our Coach, (Parakletos) the Holy Spirit, asks the same of us, Christian.  God saves us and brings us into His Church, the Body of Christ, so we can become an effective, fruitful person, making a difference in our daily lives because we love Him.  We are mistaken if we believe that our faith is confined to an hour’s devotion on Sunday morning to secure our heavenly home for that hopefully distant moment of earthly departure arrives.  Yes, I hear the objections – “Jerry, my relationship with God is based on faith. Are you telling me that I have to earn my place in heaven?”  Our peace with God, the promise of salvation, IS NOT the result of our religious efforts. Let’s go back and underline that. However, we are saved to serve and God is telling us - ‘Do your job!’

Yesterday, considered part of the story of Nehemiah, the rebuilder of Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lord. The account inspires us and reveals a deep faith and diligent commitment. Both were important in bringing about the restoration of Jerusalem. Nehemiah heard about the sorry state of the city and his first response was prayer. He knew that ultimate success depended on God.  The godly man also put his own life on the line. He left a job in the king's court taking up a difficult challenge that involved read hardship.  When the work started, he met each obstacle in the same way - praying and trusting God while making practical plans.  I love one short phrase that perfectly captures the blend of faith and our work. When he was told that enemies were preparing an attack, he “prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat." (Nehemiah 4:9, NIV)

I trust God to complete His work in me and through me but I am not passive nor will I just sit around waiting to be rescued. It is my privilege to become a disciplined part of His work, His Spirit working in me and through me. Paul, who knew God’s saving grace, who trusted completely in Christ Jesus, also says that what God has done for us has a consequence for everyday life. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12-13, NIV)

  

God's wonderful gift of grace does not exempt us from personal responsibility. Somehow that idea has slipped into the minds of Christians today. We fail to remember that the Word which promises us grace we could never deserve also teaches us the law of the harvest, that the seeds we plant produce the crop we harvest. "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." (Galatians 6:8, NIV)

Are you a passive Christian? Have you mistakenly assumed that there is nothing to do except wait for Heaven?  Let’s take the model of Nehemiah, loving God and leaning into His Presence in daily prayer, opening our hearts and minds to His truth and transformation by the practice of the disciplines of the Spirit. Do your job. “Pray and post a guard!”  

Here is a word from the Word.  "Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:9-10, NLT)  Do your job!

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Jesus calls me, I must follow,

Follow Him today.

When His tender voice is pleading,

How can I delay?

Follow, I will follow Thee, my Lord;

Follow ev'ry passing day.

My tomorrows are all known to Thee,

Thou wilt lead me all the way.

Howard L. Brown | Margaret W. Brown

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