"What are You doing, Lord?"

 

Every person of faith comes to a moment when they wonder, “What are You doing, Lord?”  We confess that He is the Lord of all, that the world He’s made is directed by Him. Then evil appears to triumph, a friend’s baby is born with severe disabilities, an accident claims the life of someone we love … and we wonder why.  At least, I do!

Christians hold two competing views of God and His ways.
One view emphasizes the rule of God and therefore whatever happens is His perfect will. Our only response to life is a fatalistic kind of resignation, living as if we are just puppets on a string.

At the other extreme there are those who emphasize the choices we make, proponents of ‘free will.’   Their conclusion is that we, alone, are responsible for what happens to us, that we create our own success or failure. God is reduced to being the 'Divine Advisor.'  

The truth is a balance of two seemingly irreconcilable truths – that God is 'sovereign' and that I am a 'free agent.'  How can I believe that God is 'in charge' and that I am free to choose at the same time?  What we usually set up as an 'either/or' situation, the Scripture teaches as a 'both/and' situation.  God is not truly God if He cannot direct His creation.  We will not live in confidence if we diminish His ability to care for us, to secure our salvation. But, if we ignore the powerful gift of personal choice we will live irresponsibly, failing to appreciate the principle that today’s decisions are the seeds of tomorrow’s harvest.

When Jeremiah wondered why God had allowed the Temple to be destroyed and the nation to be enslaved, the Spirit of God spoke to him. “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will build up and plant a certain nation or kingdom, making it strong and great, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless that nation as I had said I would." (Jeremiah 18:6-10, NLT)  God’s will is not subject to frustration by anything or anyone, but  how we live has a clear effect on how we experience life. His plans are not inevitable and unchangeable. The Person of God is unchanging, the purposes of God are moved by our prayers and obedience.

We are not puppets helplessly ‘dancing’ as God pulls the strings from Heaven.  He wants me to trust Him enough to seek to know Him and His will. He desires that I give myself to His ways so that I can find live with contentment, joy, and purpose.  There is an amazingly wonderful serenity that comes from knowing that I am held in His hand. If we sin against Him by becoming a self-willed rebel, or an angry fool that shakes a puny fist in His face because of unpleasant circumstances will we drift from the comforting of the Spirit. 

Isaiah warns about an inflated sense of self and the folly that comes from a failure to submit to the sovereign God. Using the same imagery as Jeremiah, he writes - "Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?" (Isaiah 29:15-16, NIV)

Those twin truths – that God reigns supremely and that He has given us freedom to choose His will – are important. The first grants us great assurance. The second reminds us to pray for the Spirit to keep us on track.  Christian friend, take solace from His promise that He will never leave us, never forsake us.  And then take the challenge of living ‘in the Kingdom’ bringing God’s purposes to life in the world, a change agent that works for the defeat of evil and suffering.

The better question when we are confused by what is happening around us is ‘what are You asking of me, Lord?'  “Why?” sometimes defies our understanding, His purposes and will simply beyond the scope of our mind’s abilities.

If He wills that we go through the fire to refine our character,
we can walk through it with peace.

If He wants to lead us to repentance,
it is imperative that we respond quickly!

If His desire is to make us a living example of His grace,
then our momentary sufferings become a thing of glory,
the pain we experience inconsequential compared to the privilege of being used in His plans.

Prayerfully meditate on this word from the Word.  Thank Jesus for being your Savior. Seek the Spirit’s daily guidance. All the while rest in the Father’s amazing will.

"Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the people turn from their wicked deeds.

Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.

Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

“My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." (Isaiah 55:6-11, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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How Great Is Our God

The splendor of the King
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps Himself in light
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
And trembles at His voice

How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see how great
How great is our God

And age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the End
Beginning and the End
The Godhead three in one
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

Chris Tomlin | Ed Cash | Jesse Reeves

© 2004 sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Vamos Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Why you’re here

 

Someone remarked to me recently, “Jerry, I thought you were retired but you are still doing ministry.”  That person did not understand that ‘ministry’ is not the same as a profession. It is the purpose of every Christian. Yes, I have retired from the daily administration of a local church, from preparing weekly messages, planning a calendar, and the rest of being employed but I am still a Christian. Thus, I continue to visit and pray with the sick, do nursing home services, comfort grieving families, and encourage others in their faith -  wherever I find opportunities to do so.   

Whatever your work, my Christian friend,
your purpose is to advance the cause of Christ!

 Jesus said "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12, NIV)  Usually we focus on the second part of that statement because it is hard to understand but I want us to look at the first part - I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  What did Jesus do?  He loved, He shared, He cared, He brought God’s truth to His world. So must we!

God commissions us to be ambassadors of the Kingdom.  Let’s not get swept up by the warrior concept of Christianity that has made so many Christians militant, angry people who attack the world in which they live.  Rather we should be more like Jesus that night before His crucifixion. When He saw His friends confused and fighting among themselves, He did not climb onto the table and shout at them about the sin.  Instead, He took a towel and basin to wash their feet. He ministered to a basic need and invited them to humble service like His! Oh that we would be like Him, humbly choosing to serve, to care, to comfort, to love.   As we do, let us pray with faith, "Your kingdom come, (in me) Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Those who would do the work of God’s rule, must first live under it. If we are not obediently living with Jesus as our Guide, experiencing the life of the Spirit, we cannot even hope to lead others to a rich and full experience.  We reproduce who we are and what we know.  When we are authentically living with Jesus, loving Him, conforming our lives to His design, His goodness will ‘infect’ others, the Spirit spilling over from us as ‘living water’ in the words of the Lord.  Please remember, perfection is not the prerequisite for showing Jesus to our friends, family, and neighbors. Were that true all Christians would all be compelled to silence on life’s sidelines. In humility we admit that we do better some days than others, that we are a work in progress, and that we are imperfectly who we are because of Who He perfectly is.

Let me ask you – are you alive to God, a person living in His reign, knowing His peace?  You can enter in, right now, where you are, by faith. Jesus says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (John 7:37-38, The Message) Invite Him to forgive your sins, to enter your life, to make you new and alive to God. That’s the start of a life of faith.

Christian, I leave this promise with you, a word from the Word.  As you pray to represent the Kingdom today, know that you are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Lean on the power He provides, using the gifts He will give, and make a Kingdom difference.

The word from the Word says "But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing. To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like those hucksters—and there are many of them—who preach just to make money. We preach God’s message with sincerity and with Christ’s authority. And we know that the God who sent us is watching us." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Kingdom Come 

Oh let it start with us
Oh Your kingdom come

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Who long for You long for You
Blessed are the heavy-hearted
In need of You need of You 

Your hands are healing
Your heart is hope
Your word is freedom from all of the world
You are redemption
You are our help

So let Your kingdom come and Your will be done
On earth as is in heaven
Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done
From now until forever
We'll keep on singing

Oh let it start in us
Oh (Your kingdom come) 

Lover of our souls redeem us
We live for You live for You
Spirit lead us to forgiveness
We cry out to You cry out to You

Right here right now we're reaching out
With humble hearts we're kneeling down
No other name no other way
Lord hear us as we pray

 

Revive us restore us
Rebuild us redeem us
Refill us rename us
Your kingdom come
Your kingdom come

Joel Smallbone | Luke Smallbone | Rebecca St. James | Seth Mosley

© 2021 Heritage Worship Music Publishing (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing)

CentricSongs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

 

Child-like or childish?

 

The pastor took his text from the Gospels, those well-known words of Jesus about the faith of a child, "anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15, NIV)  That idea has occupied my mind since then. 

What does it mean to be a child of God?
What changes in my attitude and faith are needed for me to live in God’s care and purposes?

A little child enjoys an ability to live in the moment.  Kids generally do not stare at the clock or fret about getting to the next thing on the agenda… unless Grandpa promises a trip for ice cream “later” which seems to mean “now.”  Most of the time a child appreciates the opportunities of the moment.   

When Gio (my grandson) and I explored a corner of Manhattan last week, he was content to let himself just ‘be’ in the city, looking up at the skyscrapers with awe, commenting on the noises and smells that surrounded him. He trusted me to know where we were going and to take care of him so his experience was uncomplicated with worry. His simple happiness inspired me!

This Monday morning I am asking myself, “Jerry, are you prepared to walk with Jesus through life with a child-like faith?”  That’s not an easy choice for a man of my years. I tend to be wary, to plan to protect myself, to let anxious thoughts about the ‘next thing’ to hinder my ability to live joyfully with God, confident that He will keep and protect me.

Mark records a moment with Jesus. "One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch them and bless them, but the disciples told them not to bother him. But when Jesus saw what was happening, he was very displeased with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn’t have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God.” Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them." (Mark 10:13-16, NLT)  

Children were thought of somewhat differently in Jesus’ time. Families were large.  Many children died before they reached the age of 5. They were expected to work, to contribute to the welfare of the family. They were mostly kept on the outside of the social circle, not invited to sit among adults. So, the disciples saw the ‘kids’ that gathered around Jesus as an inconvenience, a bother, unimportant, a hindrance to the ‘real’ work that Jesus needed to do. Jesus saw them as people to be loved, a model of simple faith, and embraced them with His blessings. He saw them as a model of the best life with our Heavenly Father.   

My friend as that scene plays in your mind, will you surrender your ‘adult’ attitudes before the Lord, becoming like a little child before God?  Be careful not to slip into childishness!  That is the downside. A little can lack the ability to understand the larger context of his life, whining and crying when his desires are frustrated.  Jesus asks us to be child-like in faith!

Today, as life unfolds around us, let’s pray for a heart that trusts, eyes that see as He sees, a willingness to let His arms hold us. A child-like faith is more than a naïve idea that ‘everything will be great, everything I want will happen to me.’   What we can experience as we live with God, our Father, in humility and obedience, is that assurance that no matter what is going on in life He is able and willing to care for us. A child-like trust in Him, even when chaos overwhelms us and the darkness is foreboding, allows us to know peace that that experienced by a beloved child.  Jesus promises this -“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37).

Base line truth- God loves His children. Take Jesus’ words to heart today, disciple. When you find yourself fretting, complaining, or wishing you were someone else, or that life was something other than it is, or that you were somewhere far away; stop and give the Spirit the opportunity to renew your joy in the moment. Humbly accept the day and let joy find you!

Here is a word from the Word. "What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are.  … And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him." (1 John 3:1-2, The Message)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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No Longer Slaves

I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

You unravel me with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance from my enemies
Till all my fears are gone

From my Mother's womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I've been born again into Your family
Your blood flows through my veins

You split the sea so I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me so I could stand and sing
I am a child of God

Brian Johnson | Joel Case | Jonathan David Helser

© 2014 Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055