He makes the difference!

 Having a conversation with someone who really ‘knows their stuff’ is something I truly enjoy. I soak up the information, glad to be able to share the fruits of another’s hard work and experience. At the opposite side of life, when I am trapped in a conversation with someone who talks as if they know, but who obviously are lacking real experience or understanding, is a test of patience for me. 

Generally, those who are genuinely knowledgeable do not feel a need to impress or go on at lengths about their expertise. They just do what they do well, demonstrating their mastery of the information.  The old saying that a ‘little knowledge is a dangerous thing’ is quite true! 

Jesus invites us to go beyond merely talking about faith to living in the Truth. "He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you." (Mark 4:11, NIV)  The word ‘secret’ does not mean something classified, accessible only to a select few.  He speaks of the knowledge of the Spirit that is not obvious to the natural mind, that is revealed to us by the Spirit and the Word. When we come to Christ Jesus through faith, the Spirit comes to live in us. Through Him we are able to communicate with God, living with insight that makes us truly different. True faith opens the ‘eyes’ that see the realities of God's rule where those without the Spirit see nothing at all!

When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor was puzzled by the accusation made against him that he was a king inciting rebellion. He asked, "Where is your kingdom?" Jesus answered him with these words, cryptic to those without faith, “I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36, NLT)  He had no need to bluff or bluster, to threaten or stall. He knew Who He was and was trusting His Father’s will.  To those with natural eyes He may have seemed delusional. But, He was living in the dominion of God, the unseen rule of Heaven.

Those who come to Christ are given citizenship in that Kingdom and they live in the ‘secret’ Presence of God in this world.  Truly Kingdom people are not deluded, though we are often accused of being 'out of touch' by those who cannot understand the ways of the Holy Spirit. We see the unseen and live by a wisdom that transcends the knowledge of this world.  Living in the Kingdom lets us understand the riddles that puzzle unbelievers -"Die to live. Give to gain. Serve to rule. Turn the other cheek. Forgive those who mistreat you." Matthew 5 begins with the Beatitudes- statements that turn life upside down, words that nonsensical to those who are not in the Kingdom! "Blessed are the poor in spirit... blessed are those who mourn... blessed are the meek." Such words invite ridicule in a world where the rich, the happy, and the powerful are envied and emulated, yet they make sense to those who know the secret Kingdom, who organize their lives by the laws of Heaven.

Some who are Christians fail to fully enter the Kingdom life.  Their faith is undeveloped and so they continue to live only with natural understanding - doing their best by their will and wit, trying to find some relief from the tedium of life. They will not fully trust Jesus’ wisdom and thus are unable to enter the Kingdom of God where they could enjoy the ‘abundant life’ of Jesus.  

Here is a question worthy of prayerful thought:

Which wisdom shapes my mind and thus my decisions?

Do I live only for this present world, guiding by the natural, or am I faith-full, guided by the Spirit.

Yes, my friend, there is a “secret” Kingdom that is not really secret at all.  You are invited in. Believe Him and begin to see through eyes of faith, God’s truth made plain by the Spirit revelation. Jesus told a man of power and prominence - “I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God...The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit." (John 3:3, 5 NLT)

Here is a word from the Word about the Kingdom I love. May they captivate your mind and heart and cause you to enter His reign, too.  "I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world, and not the kind that appeals to the rulers of this world, who are being brought to nothing. No, the wisdom we speak of is the secret wisdom of God, which was hidden in former times, though he made it for our benefit before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would never have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets." (1 Corinthians 2:6-10, NLT)

Trust Jesus. Invite the Holy Spirit ‘renew your mind’ so that you can be a living child of God, in on the secret of eternal life, heavenly life right here and now! That ‘hidden’ will become obvious to others, the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit mature and refreshing to those with whom you live.

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Lord Reign In Me

Over all the earth You reign on high

Every mountain stream every sunset sky

But my one request Lord my only aim

Is that You'd reign in me again

 

Lord reign in me reign in Your pow'r

Over all my dreams in my darkest hour

You are the Lord of all I am

So won't You reign in me again

 

Over every thought over every word

May my life reflect the beauty of my Lord

'Cause You mean more to me

Than any earthly thing

So won't You reign in me again

 

 

Brenton Brown

© 1998 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire) (Admin. by Integrity Music)

CCLI License # 810055

 

Sometimes it’s just showing up that counts

 

More than a decade ago, my Mom, in the final months of her life, came to live in our home. It was bittersweet season, a time when she became dependent and I learned much about loving her. She would frequently call me in the middle of night, feeling anxious in the darkness in the morning’s small hours. Going to her bedside, I would hear say, “Don’t leave me.”  I pulled up a chair and sat there with her, holding her hand.  No words were necessary. Often she fell asleep in a matter of minutes, comforted by my presence.  

In my pastoral ministry I have been called to all kinds of situations, pending death, hospital emergency rooms, funerals.  I learned that in those moments it was ‘being there’ that meant more than words. There will be a time to talk, to share a word of Scripture, but in the crisis often it is just showing up that counts.  The unspoken message is “I will steady you; you’re not alone.” 

There is a time for counsel, comforting words, or prayer but wisdom teaches us to be show our love and care not just to profess it.

In the Old Testament we find the story of Job.  He was suffering awful, almost incomprehensible loss.  His children died. His wealth evaporated. His health failed. As he sat in the ashes, with a broken heart and aching body his friends came to be with him. We read that "When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was." (Job 2:12-13, NIV)  They got it right, at first! 

Then, they felt the need to try to explain, to rationalize, to make the tragedy make sense.  Their overflow of words offended God and Job for they blamed Job for his plight, saying that surely he must have brought it on himself, and they declared with certainty that they knew God was punishing him.  As we know from the whole story, Job was a model righteous man whose suffering had nothing to do with sin or failure. God was accomplishing His own purposes through Job which were unseen by the man’s friends.

In this thing called ‘life,’ let’s not fall into the trap of trying to explain it all, too soon or with too little information. There is a time to ‘speak the truth in love’ to one another. There is a time to correct and instruct. But, love comes first and that love is shown best when we ‘show up’ with care and compassion; offering to listen without judgment, sharing a meal, serving another in some way that says “you matter.”

This way of life is modeled for us by God Himself, in the 3^rd Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that upon His return to the Father’s glory, He would send another, the “Counselor. "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live." (John 14:16-19, NIV) 

In the first language of the Bible, the word we read as ‘Counselor’ is the Greek word, “Paraclete.”  That word describes someone who comes to stand with us, an advocate, closer than a friend.  That is Who God, the Holy Spirit, is for us, the very Presence of God with us and in us, all the time.

Are you feeling anxious or alone?
Has life become overwhelming, problems multiplying, answers few?

Is the world in which you live chaotic?

I pray you have friends in the family of God who stand with you, showing up for you. And, by faith, remember God is here, “an ever-present help in trouble.”  (Psalm 46.1)

The word from the Word is a faith-builder. Live the promise and be that person who shows up for others, too.
The Psalmist exults: "Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139:7-10, NIV) Amen!

(Video of this blog at this link)

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10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Worship Your holy name
Worship Your holy name

 

Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman © 2011 Said And Done Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

SHOUT! Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
CCLI 810055

Anger and Fear, Renewal and Hope

 

Friday evening I watched the demonstrations that spread across the nation after the announcement that that Supreme Court had reversed the infamous Roe V. Wade decision of 1973 that legalized abortion. The decision to return to the power to regulate the practice of abortion to the States was celebrated and condemned with equal fervor. I was filled with mixed emotions that evening. There was joy because I believe that life is a gift of God, a sacred thing that must be protected. At the same moment, I could feel the fear that was sweeping through the lives of many who felt that a ‘right’ was stripped away. It is all but impossible to even begin to grasp the complex issues surrounding life’s sacred value in street demonstration. Signs and slogans do not begin to capture the nuance of human relationships or to reveal how very difficult the decisions are that come with conception, bearing and raising a child, and even the approach to life’s end.

Two Americas have emerged in recent years.

One holds that we are God’s, that our purpose and meaning for life are found in faith, in the surrender of ourselves to His will. I am one of those, a Christian whose desire is to know Him, love Him, and share His goodness with others, albeit imperfectly to be sure. 

There is another America that looks for their greatest happiness in unrestrained self-expression. The idea of surrendering one’s Self to God is incomprehensible. The many failures of religion only reinforces the belief that the greater good is found in the individual who seeks his own happiness above all.  Those two world-views are irreconcilable and lead to very different ways of defining what is ‘true’ and/or ‘best’ for the world. For a time these two Americas managed to co-exist but the last decade we have witnessed escalation of the conflict, a bitter struggle to control the hearts and minds of the nation.

Those of us who claim the Name of Christ Jesus must re-commit ourselves to genuine peace, to seek resolution of conflict, to enter into real conversations. Too often we have resorted to the same kind of militancy and power plays that others practice. Christians noisily shout for ‘rights’ and build political coalitions much the same as those without faith, in the process invalidating the truth of belonging to God and trusting Him that we profess. Paul proclaims God’s way teaching us that  "though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NIV)

Christians, including yours truly, made a terrible mistake 40 years ago by giving support to groups like the ‘Moral Majority.’ Even writing that phrase makes me feel a sense of shame for the pride it displays. We were tricked by politicians who used the church’s rhetoric but did not practice the gospel of Christ. We bought the lie that the ‘end justifies the means’ and blindly supported policies that were at complete odds with following Christ Jesus. The hypocrisy of a politicized ‘faith’ only made conversations about Jesus more difficult in an increasingly secular society. In far too many ways our faith became twisted so that “Jesus” was turned into a god who would make us healthy, wealthy, and happy.

Millions of Christians gladly turned a deaf ear to His call to self-denial, sacrifice, and service of the least and the lost. Even our Worship was redefined  and refocused from God to Self, subtly but certainly; from a time to come into the Presence of the Lord with a humble heart, to a time of self-improvement and self-exaltation. Pastors were retrained to become ‘leaders’ instead of servants. Reverence and repentance disappeared from the vast majority of churches as we celebrated “God’s love” which we claimed would give us our ‘best life now.’   All the while we believed that somehow the spiritual wholeness of our land would come from our politicians. And here we are … a tragic and sad place where sin flourishes and God’s Name is held in contempt.

The ancient words need to live in us, calling us to spiritual renewal. They are full of promise. "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14, NLT) In our response, let us start with humility! “God, I need You,” must be our prayer. Let us replace angry condemnation with compassion.  As people of the Kingdom of Heaven our primary message is about reconciliation with God, about the hope that is found in Christ Jesus who makes us, once again, who we are created to be, God’s children. Because we are His we need not live in anger or fear for we are given daily renewal by the Spirit and great hope in Christ, our Lord.

Here is a word from the Word. May it live in us this day. "Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be overcome with joy and gladness. “I, even I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator, the one who put the stars in the sky and established the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppression? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies from morning till night? Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate! For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar. My name is the Lord Almighty. And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely within my hand. I set all the stars in space and established the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, ‘You are mine!’ ”" (Isaiah 51:11-16, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Be Thou My Vision

(A beautiful, heart-felt prayer. Pray along with this song.)

Be Thou my vision
O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me
Save that Thou art
Thou my best thought
By day or by night
Waking or sleeping
Thy presence my light

Be Thou my wisdom
Be Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee
And Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father
I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling
And I with Thee one

High King of heaven
When vict'ry is won
May I reach heaven's joys
O bright heaven's Sun
Heart of my own heart
Whatever befall
Still be my vision
O Ruler of all

 

Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne

© Words: Public Domain