Who shapes your thoughts?

 

So why do we do the things we do, act as we do? Because of what we believe to be true!  We are taught truth and consequence.  I put my seatbelt whenever I drive. Why? Because I fear the ‘click it or ticket’ law? No. I know from experience wearing that seatbelt is an important part of remaining safe in the event of a collision. Six years ago I walked away from a terrible wreck without injury because I was strapped into the seat and protected by airbags at the moment of impact.

Being a follower of Christ is about loving God something I talked about last time in CoffeeBreak. It is also about knowing the Truth!  Right thinking always precedes right living. Sincerity does not replace truth. You can be sincerely wrong and in spite of your sincerity make choices that are regrettable.   

The Psalmist asks – “How can a young man keep his way pure? Then, he answers - By living according to your word. 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. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees." (Psalm 119:9-12, NIV)

The foundation of Truth about who God is, how God works, and what He expects of us is revealed (a key word) in the Holy Scripture. Does the Bible shape your thoughts, your values, your actions?  That will not happen because you keep one on your nightstand unopened or because you have a pocket Testament in your possession. 

Paul urged Timothy, and us, to diligent study of the Scripture. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV)  Knowing the Bible as truth, understanding how to mine the truth from the stories and texts of the ancient Word is not easy, but it is possible! It requires regular study with others as well as a prayerful and teachable heart that allows the Holy Spirit to ‘reveal’ the word of God to us.

When we read the Bible often and with prayer for understanding from the Holy Spirit the Word reaches deep into our thought processes and changes us- inside out. I'm not talking about the silliness of ‘proof-texting’ - taking a single verse out of context to justify an action they wish to take or to support some pet idea.  Nor am I referring to studying the Bible for purely literary purposes, though it is fascinating.   

Yes, the best grasp of the Scripture requires thoughtful study of the historical context and understanding of the various literary forms of the text. However, the best study involves actually reading the text and meditating on the Word. Yes, there is a necessary place for scholarly study, for comparing our interpretation of passages with the understandings of others. And yet, we must not come to believe that the Bible is beyond our ability to read and comprehend.

To be transformed by the Word effect, we come with open heart, a willingness to 'hear what the Spirit is saying' as we read. Each morning, I open the Word to read a passage (sometimes only a verse, other times a whole story, or entire book). CoffeeBreak flows out of those reading most days.  Often my mind go back to what I've read; reflecting on it, inquiring about the way that it is informing my choices, drawing on the lessons and principles.  Yes, some passages yield more diamonds than others!  

 Strangely enough, the thing that keeps many Christians from actually reading the Scripture is flood of Christian books that are available to us. Many read much about the Bible, yet they never just read the Bible itself. They think that reading another's interaction with the Word is enough. Then, too, some think that hearing a sermon from the Word (Oh, God help us to fill our pulpits with the Word!) is enough. These are grave errors. Having help to understand what is written in the sacred Text is a blessing, but everyone of us needs to interact with the Word ourselves when possible. Dr. Timothy Johnson in his book, Finding God In The Questions, relates how he was looking for Jesus Christ, even though he had been a Christian Believer for years. He went back to reading the Gospels carefully and found that the Jesus he discovered again in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John was a Man far removed from the pictures and concepts presented in books and sermons. He found a new wonder over the "surprising teachings" of Jesus.

 Get yourself into the Scripture! (That might be better phrased, 'get the Scripture into you.')  Do the hard work of daily study.  Engage in the discipline of feeding your heart and mind on the Truth and you will be changed by it. Don't be discouraged if you don't find a sparkling gem of new understanding on the first day. Don't try to read too much. Don't go for the hard passages first. Instead, pray for the Spirit to be at work, and then sit down to read.

• If you're new to the Word, start with Luke's story of Jesus' ministry.

• Break away some mornings to read a Psalm, aloud, if possible.

• Get a modern translation (or two) of the Scripture: one like the New International Version or the New Living Translation, so you don't have to try to overcome the language barriers.

• When you read a passage that defies a ready understanding or application, allow for some ambiguity! After all the Bible is not a textbook, it is a revelation of the Almighty, Eternal God!

Here is a word from the Word. "You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do." (2 Timothy 3:15-17, NLT)

Be transformed by the wisdom and wonder of the Scriptures! It leads to the life of a follower of Jesus that is richer and fuller.

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Ancient Words

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God's own heart
O let the ancient words impart

Words of life words of hope
Give us strength help us cope
In this world where'er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home

Ancient words ever true
Changing me changing you
We have come with open hearts
O let the ancient words impart

Holy words of our faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
O heed the faithful words of Christ

Martyr's blood stains each page
They have died for this faith
Hear them cry through the years
Heed these words and hold them dear

We have come with open hearts
O let the ancient words impart
O let the ancient words impart

 

Lynn DeShazo © 2001 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music, David C Cook))

CCLI License # 810055

 

 

Loving … God!

 

A person ‘in love’ has the person loved in his thoughts near constantly. He plans for ways to show affection,  to be part of the life of his beloved. The romantic attraction matures into a shared experiences, to unselfish service, finding ways to make the life of the beloved better in every way. It is a delight to observe those who have walked through life together for decades who continue to have the spark of interest in one another as well as the connections of mind and heart that make “me” to “we.”  Love inspires more love and strengthens the ties between 2 people.  

Being a follower of Christ is a love affair!   

Let me get personal and ask you – do you love God?  Do you delight in Him, look for ways to please Him, your individual life melded to His Spirit living in you so that your thoughts, values, hopes, and dreams centered on Him?   Jesus, when asked about pleasing God, said that all of God’s desires for us are satisfied by one choice - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’" (Mark 12:30, NIV)

Our love for Him is inspired by His love for us; shown us in the world He has given us, revealed in the life of His Son, Jesus, and experienced through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

One of the great hindrances to loving God for us is the idea born in the last 200 years that the world in which we live sprang into existence through purely ‘natural’ processes.  Rather than seeing a created world, made for us by the mind of God, we are taught that it just happened. 

Strangely we understand that the complex machines that make our lives better were developed and created by intelligent minds but let ourselves be convinced that the amazing universe exploded from nothing.  We are dazzled by the art on a canvas, moved by beauty, and recognize the artist. We are deeply moved by music and applaud the writer and the performer. Yet, when we gaze on the wonder of the world; the beauty of the rose, the songs of the birds in the morning, the face of a newborn child – we are taught to believe that this all is the product of random processes, with no Intelligent Designer.  To suggest otherwise to the “lords of science” is to invite mockery.

Christian, if we would truly love the Lord – heart, soul, mind, and strength- we will learn to see His hand in the world He has made. "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you have set in place— what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us?" (Psalm 8:3-4, NLT)  The awesomeness of Creation should elicit this response of love and worship - "O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!" (Psalm 8:9, NLT)  

Oh yes, many simplistic and superstitious ideas have wrapped around the presentation of the Scripture that teaches us of our Creator. We need not set aside our own intelligence to become a believer in God’s gift of Creation. But, if we become naturalists, making the universe into a kind of god, which is what millions have done, we lose sight of our true God, that He is good and giving, and we cannot love Him as we must. But, oh how we love Him when we catch sight of His love for us in the dawn, in the rain, in the sunsets, the mountain vistas, the delight of human connections, in this world He has made.

If you would be a disciple, a lover of God, begin with renewed faith in the fact that He is the Maker of Heaven and Earth, the Giver of every good gift.

The word from the Word today makes me think. I pray it will stir your mind and inspire your heart. "For the truth about God is known to them (humanity) instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused." (Romans 1:19-21, NLT)  

(Video of this blog at this link)

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How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds
Thy hands have made
I see the stars
I hear the rolling thunder
Thy pow'r thru'out
The universe displayed

Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art
Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art

When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
And hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze

And when I think
That God His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die
I scarce can take it in
That on the cross
My burden gladly bearing
He bled and died
To take away my sin

When Christ shall come
With shout of acclamation
And take me home
What joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim
My God how great Thou art

Stuart Wesley Keene Hine

© Copyright 1949 and 1953 Stuart Hine Trust CIO Stuart K. Hine Trust (Administration: USA All rights by Capitol CMG Publishing, except print rights for USA, North, Central and South America administered by Hope Publishing. All other non USA Americas rights by the Stuart Hine Trust. Rest of World – Integritymusic.com.)

CCLI License # 810055

Chaos and Me

 

What a chaotic world we live in, at least it looks that way to me. In so many places, up is down, right is wrong. It may well be as you read that line you say, “Yes, Jerry, that’s because you’re older now and set in your ways.” That is somewhat true.  But, the chaos around us is not just felt by those of a certain age.

America now has reactionary people who are ready to revolt, ready to do violence because they cannot make sense of the world in which we live. Even children are increasingly affected by depression in part because they are insecure, left without safe boundaries and guidelines for life. The wonderful freedoms we cherish in our culture are now exploited in the service of radical individualism (“I’ll do my own thing regardless of the cost to anyone else”)  which tears at the fabric of community.

 My faith is a settled issue that rests on these statements:

-God is the Source of life and Lord of all, will prevail in His purposes for the world and for me.

-God is knowable, showing Himself to me in Jesus Christ, His Son, who is our Lord and Savior.

-God is present, His strength and guidance available to me through the Holy Spirit who lives in me, enabling me to serve His purposes.

Are there other questions of faith for me? Yes, I will not deny it.  The ongoing existence of evil raises questions. Human cruelty in all its various forms, cause me to ask God about His power. Prayers that seem to go unanswered tempt me to doubts about His goodness. When I listen to the nagging negatives I grow confused. Chaos takes over and I tend to grow paralyzed by fear. That is why I keep it uncomplicated at the core - I belong to God and, by His grace, I will continue to love and serve Him for the rest of my days.  

My model is the old man, Joshua, who succeeded Moses and led the Israelites into their Promised Land. He said,  "Choose today whom you will serve. … But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15, NLT)

Which does your faith resemble: a complicated contract or a simple statement?  
In your relationship with God do you create clauses and sub-clauses, parts of life from which He is excluded, things you reserve yourself?  Do you serve Him or attempt to make Him serve you?

When I was younger a key issue for me was ‘relevance.’  I thought that I somehow had to make my faith 'fit' with the complexity of the world in which I lived.  It was an upside down understanding. Faith does not fit my world. Faith forms me to live for God, counter-culturally, in my world.  Let me clear. That does not make life simpler but it does give clarity.  

Confessing Christ as Lord of life gives me a place to stand, humbly engaging others with His love and praying to be light in dark places.  Increasingly, my faith is distilled around this core truth- Jesus cares and loves me, therefore, I can love and care for others. Convinced by the Scripture, by experience, and by the Spirit in me that "God is for me, not against me," I am able to live with confidence that nothing that comes my way is too big for Him, will surprise Him, or can overcome His gracious love.

Am I a simpleton who lacks a grasp of the possibilities for pain or disappointment that exist all around me? Not at all.  I am still very much part of this world which is, 'with devils filled and threatens to undo us!' (Martin Luther)  An overarching truth secures me. I am a subject of the King whose power has triumphed over sin, Hell, and death. I set my hope in Christ Jesus of whom I say - "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12-14, NIV)  

There are still many complex questions around the 'what, when, where, why, and how' of life! But, knowing Who holds the answers to those questions in His eternal mind is my rock of assurance. Do you know Him? Is He really Lord? Then, trust Him.

Ah friend, humbly come to Christ. Confess Him as Lord of life. Pray for faith at the core of your being that rest squarely on the Person of Jesus. From the Word, understand the core Truth of God's eternal nature, of the triumph of Christ, and of the Spirit's power - and place those things at the center of your life. Ask the Lord to teach you to respond in faith to the issues of your life, choosing the way of the faithful consistently. And, you will find rock-like stability in a confusing, complex world!

In our word from the Word, James reminds us of the importance of simple faith. Read it carefully and prayerfully. "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. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do." (James 1:5-8, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

(The Isaacs sing this gospel song of assurance. Enjoy!)

I don't know about tomorrow
I just live from day to day
I don't borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to gray
I don't worry o'er the future
For I know what Jesus said
And today I'll walk beside Him
For He knows what is ahead

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand

I don't know about tomorrow
It may bring me poverty
But the One who feeds the sparrow
Is the One who stands by me
And the path that is my portion
May be through the flame or flood
But His presence goes before me
And I'm covered with His blood

 Ira Stanphill © 1950 New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)