Are you a noble, worthy person? Let me clarify. Are you noted to be a person of truth, integrity, diligence, beauty of spirit, love, and grace? Or, are you a person of shaded meanings, filthy speech, laziness, and hostility? That is what I mean by 'noble.' One can be poor and be noble. A person need not have a certain bloodline to be of noble character. The transforming truth of the Gospel of Christ, coupled with the inner transformation of the Spirit, will produce a person who is truly a nobleman! Yet, often in our time, those who claim to be Christian are base, ignoble individuals. This should not be. There are few things that stir up my emotions like a pseudo-Christian! I hate the disgrace to the cause of Christ that comes when a person uses his religion as a 'cover up for evil.' (1 Peter 2:16)
Conversion is supposed to be exactly that - a profound change. All too often, Christianity is made into an ideal held up for admiration but considered impractical for daily living. This has been the curse of the faith since the beginning of the faith. Time and again the Word challenges a claim to belief without a corresponding change of practice. This is the sin of hypocrisy. Paul wrote to us saying "I beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God." (Ephesians 4:1, NLT)
Look at how the Word contrasts the nature, base life with the noble, spiritual one:
"People’s desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God’s kingdom.
God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires." (Galatians 5:19-24, CEV)
We must not make the mistake of attempting to live the 'life of the Spirit,' by our own will! To do so, will lead to great hypocrisy like that of the Pharisees, described by Jesus as "whitewashed tombs, full of dead men's bones." No amount of punishment, ethical challenge, or good intention can produce a Spirit-filled noble man of God. "So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, ... For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial ... You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, "Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!"? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires." (Colossians 2:16-23, NLT)
Augustine is quoted as saying, "Love God, and do as you please." He's right! Yes, he is much misunderstood, as some who claim to be disciples emphasize only the second half of his aphorism and descend into licentious behaviors which only further debase them. A noble life emerges when we love Him - with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Disciple, do you love Him? Does it show in a life that is worthy of your high calling? Here's my prayer for you and for me today. Pray it with me, won't you?
"We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." (Colossians 1:9-12, NIV)
__________________
Truehearted, wholehearted, faithful and loyal,
King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be;
Under the standard exalted and royal,
Strong in Thy strength we will battle for Thee.
Peal out the watchword! Silence it never!
Song of our spirits, rejoicing and free;
Peal out the watchword! Loyal forever!
King of our lives, by Thy grace we will be.
Wholehearted! Savior beloved and glorious,
Take Thy great power and reign Thou alone,
Over our wills and affections victorious—
Freely surrendered and wholly Thine own.
Frances Havergal - public domain
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Let your light shine!
An admirable trait every disciple needs is steadiness. One of the best inventions of the last century was the electric light bulb. The lowly light bulb extends our working and enjoyment hours of each day by several hours, before and after sunset. Did you ever notice what happens to a light bulb just before it reaches the end of its life? Often it burns super-brightly for a few seconds and then, poof!- it falls dark as the filament breaks. The steady light that comes from a bulb is what we count on to read, to converse, to do our work. We don’t want flickering light. We don’t want flashes of light. We want a steady, bright glow.
As we represent Christ, we do so, in His words, as lights. In Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message) we read: "You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. ... I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand——shine! Steady, consistent, reflecting the Light of Jesus." In the Scripture, we are taught that there are many things that can put out the light in us, or make it dim.
We deal with ...
- the sinful nature that resists the work of the Spirit;
- world systems that oppose God’s ways; and
- the Devil who organizes evil!
Remember, it’s not the glow of our personality, the brilliance of our skills or intelligence, that gives the light. "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6, NKJV)
How can we shine consistently, lighting the way for others? Walk in the Light!
"So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." (1 John 1:6-9, NLT)
So, disciple, shine brightly today. Choose wisely so that nothing dims the Light shining in you. Invite the Spirit to clear the lens of your life, wiping away the dirt of sin and Self. Keep focused on the Light. It’s about Jesus working in you, working through you, shining the Light in a dark world.
________________________
Lord, I come to Your awesome presence.
From the shadows into Your radiance;
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine.
Fill this land with the Father's glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze.
Set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow, flood the nations
With grace and mercy;
Send forth Your Word,Lord,
and let there be light.
Shine, Jesus, Shine
Kendrick, Graham© 1987 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 810055
As we represent Christ, we do so, in His words, as lights. In Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message) we read: "You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. ... I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand——shine! Steady, consistent, reflecting the Light of Jesus." In the Scripture, we are taught that there are many things that can put out the light in us, or make it dim.
We deal with ...
- the sinful nature that resists the work of the Spirit;
- world systems that oppose God’s ways; and
- the Devil who organizes evil!
Remember, it’s not the glow of our personality, the brilliance of our skills or intelligence, that gives the light. "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6, NKJV)
How can we shine consistently, lighting the way for others? Walk in the Light!
"So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." (1 John 1:6-9, NLT)
So, disciple, shine brightly today. Choose wisely so that nothing dims the Light shining in you. Invite the Spirit to clear the lens of your life, wiping away the dirt of sin and Self. Keep focused on the Light. It’s about Jesus working in you, working through you, shining the Light in a dark world.
________________________
Lord, I come to Your awesome presence.
From the shadows into Your radiance;
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine.
Fill this land with the Father's glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze.
Set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow, flood the nations
With grace and mercy;
Send forth Your Word,Lord,
and let there be light.
Shine, Jesus, Shine
Kendrick, Graham© 1987 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, September 19, 2008
Fitting in? With whom?
I love walking among students who are in their early teen years! They are not sophisticated enough to hide their feelings, but are old enough to act somewhat independently of their parents. The 'herd mentality' is fully evidenced by their imitation of the leader of the pack. Whatever she wears becomes 'the look' others attempt to copy. His words, even the tone of those words, becomes the pattern for his friends. Mass media now makes it possible for a single girl (at this moment think Miley Cyrus, a.k.a. - Hannah Montana) to become the model for millions. Her 'look' is the look if you're a 13 year old girl.
Of course, it is not just kids that want to fit in. Stop by the local law firm and see all the suits! And, there are always those who are non-conforming, who seek uniqueness by being completely different, which is still a kind of 'conformity!' If short hair is in, they go long. If formal dress is the norm, they wear the Hawaiian print shirt. They are still reacting to others, even in their 'difference.'
Disciples of Jesus Christ have a greater ideal! We who follow Him must wrestle with the innate need for peer approval and determine that we will serve Him. In John's gospel we read of some who wanted to follow Jesus but they were too afraid of the pressure of their friends. Take a look. "Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God." (John 12:42-43, NLT) The Word warns us that "The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that. " (Proverbs 29:25, The Message)
What is 'cool' with others changes. If we spend too much time looking around, measuring ourselves by how well we fit into contemporary standards, we will become slaves of fashions and fads, unable to serve or please God. That is why the Word tells us "Since God assured us, "I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6, The Message)
Pray that the Spirit of God will make you fearless in the face of criticism or peer pressure. Walk humbly before God and seek His approval. He will guide us to life that really matters, away from the superficiality of this present world and its changing standards. Here's a word from the Word. Let the wisdom found here go deep into your mind and heart today.
"Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
"Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven." (Matthew 10:28-33, NLT)
_____________________________
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Helen Lemmell © Public Domain
Of course, it is not just kids that want to fit in. Stop by the local law firm and see all the suits! And, there are always those who are non-conforming, who seek uniqueness by being completely different, which is still a kind of 'conformity!' If short hair is in, they go long. If formal dress is the norm, they wear the Hawaiian print shirt. They are still reacting to others, even in their 'difference.'
Disciples of Jesus Christ have a greater ideal! We who follow Him must wrestle with the innate need for peer approval and determine that we will serve Him. In John's gospel we read of some who wanted to follow Jesus but they were too afraid of the pressure of their friends. Take a look. "Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God." (John 12:42-43, NLT) The Word warns us that "The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that. " (Proverbs 29:25, The Message)
What is 'cool' with others changes. If we spend too much time looking around, measuring ourselves by how well we fit into contemporary standards, we will become slaves of fashions and fads, unable to serve or please God. That is why the Word tells us "Since God assured us, "I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6, The Message)
Pray that the Spirit of God will make you fearless in the face of criticism or peer pressure. Walk humbly before God and seek His approval. He will guide us to life that really matters, away from the superficiality of this present world and its changing standards. Here's a word from the Word. Let the wisdom found here go deep into your mind and heart today.
"Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
"Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven." (Matthew 10:28-33, NLT)
_____________________________
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Helen Lemmell © Public Domain
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Fools despise discipline.
Our son, Sean, a teacher, called me a week or so ago to say, "Thanks, Dad, for finding the balance between love and fear, for instilling a healthy respect for authority in me when I was a child, and for teaching me about consequences for my actions." His thanks was prompted by his interaction with high school students who think that they are acting in their own best interest by ignoring authority and doing their own thing. When my sons and daughters were in my care, I wanted them to know they were loved and I knew they needed to be disciplined, no matter how much conflict or unhappiness it brought in the short term. We laugh today about one of my favorite parenting lines: "I'm not your best friend; I'm your father."
Which child is a happier person when they reach adulthood? Is it the one who is indulged and pampered who becomes a irresponsible person who thinks the world revolves around their needs, OR the one who is disciplined and knows how to show up for work, form lasting relationships with 'give and take,' and who knows the importance of following the rules? The disciplined one is the happier person for enjoys freedom that only comes to those who know self-control!
Discipline is a means to greater freedom and joy for God's children, too. When we practice spiritual disciplines, we are trained as 'athletes of God' and the well-conditioned soul is able to better respond to God's leading. Discipline gives us freedom from slavery to our appetites, the ability to choose. In the book of Hebrews we learn: "Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves.Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them.But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God." -- [12:11-12 The Message]
Those who live a disciplined life are often mocked by those whose lives are in lived in disarray under the guise of 'freedom.' "Why do you put so much emphasis on things like being on-time, keeping orderly records, picking up trash, etc.?" I am sometimes asked. The reason is that I find when the small things are tended and kept in order, the larger issues of life fall into place. For example, some people find filing their income tax a real chore. It takes me less than two hours every year. Why? Because I keep my financial records up to date and properly filed, on a weekly basis. Another example- a long, long time ago I committed myself to paying my bills on time and only spending money I had in hand. Now, because I am not swamped by credit card debt, I have less stress, pay very little interest to banks (other than my mortgage!) and can support the work of God with my tithe!
Do I always enjoy meeting deadlines, putting work over pleasure, mowing my lawn on a hot day, or polishing my shoes? Not any more than anyone else. But, I make those choices because I realize the freedom that discipline produces and I know that larger problems are less likely to develop tomorrow when the right choice is made today. Believers want to know God and to walk with Him in joyful freedom! I cannot recall ever having a discussion with a Christian who said, "Jerry, I just want to do the minimums, live spiritually on the edge, and squeak into Heaven by the razor edge of grace!" Yet, that is exactly where many live.
So how do we enter into the richness of God's glory here and now?
There are no 'magic pills' that will produce instantaneous or effortless spiritual health. There are choices to be made, disciplines to practiced. Start with small choices like:
- turning off the TV an hour earlier and going to bed so you canget up and have time to prayerfully meditate and take in some Scripture before rushing out the door to work;
-planning weekend activities with a high priority commitment tojoining in corporate worship every week;
-dealing with issues of the soul in their infancy rather thantrying to conquer them when they are engrained habits...
small choices that prepare us to receive God's grace in big ways.
One writer puts it this way: "Each of us becomes another Michelangelo, for choice is nothing other than the chisel we use to sculpt our life. The chisel doesn't come free, however, for the price of choice is responsibility. But when we accept and carry out our responsibility, the reward is great. The reward is happiness."
God has provided the means for freedom of choice by giving us salvation from sin, through the gracious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Now, let us use that freedom to grow into Christians who live worthy of His investment in us.
_________________
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7, NIV)
"If you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:25, NLT)
Which child is a happier person when they reach adulthood? Is it the one who is indulged and pampered who becomes a irresponsible person who thinks the world revolves around their needs, OR the one who is disciplined and knows how to show up for work, form lasting relationships with 'give and take,' and who knows the importance of following the rules? The disciplined one is the happier person for enjoys freedom that only comes to those who know self-control!
Discipline is a means to greater freedom and joy for God's children, too. When we practice spiritual disciplines, we are trained as 'athletes of God' and the well-conditioned soul is able to better respond to God's leading. Discipline gives us freedom from slavery to our appetites, the ability to choose. In the book of Hebrews we learn: "Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves.Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them.But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God." -- [12:11-12 The Message]
Those who live a disciplined life are often mocked by those whose lives are in lived in disarray under the guise of 'freedom.' "Why do you put so much emphasis on things like being on-time, keeping orderly records, picking up trash, etc.?" I am sometimes asked. The reason is that I find when the small things are tended and kept in order, the larger issues of life fall into place. For example, some people find filing their income tax a real chore. It takes me less than two hours every year. Why? Because I keep my financial records up to date and properly filed, on a weekly basis. Another example- a long, long time ago I committed myself to paying my bills on time and only spending money I had in hand. Now, because I am not swamped by credit card debt, I have less stress, pay very little interest to banks (other than my mortgage!) and can support the work of God with my tithe!
Do I always enjoy meeting deadlines, putting work over pleasure, mowing my lawn on a hot day, or polishing my shoes? Not any more than anyone else. But, I make those choices because I realize the freedom that discipline produces and I know that larger problems are less likely to develop tomorrow when the right choice is made today. Believers want to know God and to walk with Him in joyful freedom! I cannot recall ever having a discussion with a Christian who said, "Jerry, I just want to do the minimums, live spiritually on the edge, and squeak into Heaven by the razor edge of grace!" Yet, that is exactly where many live.
So how do we enter into the richness of God's glory here and now?
There are no 'magic pills' that will produce instantaneous or effortless spiritual health. There are choices to be made, disciplines to practiced. Start with small choices like:
- turning off the TV an hour earlier and going to bed so you canget up and have time to prayerfully meditate and take in some Scripture before rushing out the door to work;
-planning weekend activities with a high priority commitment tojoining in corporate worship every week;
-dealing with issues of the soul in their infancy rather thantrying to conquer them when they are engrained habits...
small choices that prepare us to receive God's grace in big ways.
One writer puts it this way: "Each of us becomes another Michelangelo, for choice is nothing other than the chisel we use to sculpt our life. The chisel doesn't come free, however, for the price of choice is responsibility. But when we accept and carry out our responsibility, the reward is great. The reward is happiness."
God has provided the means for freedom of choice by giving us salvation from sin, through the gracious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Now, let us use that freedom to grow into Christians who live worthy of His investment in us.
_________________
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7, NIV)
"If you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:25, NLT)
Love them all!
My senses were overwhelmed by the pungent odor surrounding the man standing in the hallway outside of my office. My eyes took note of the advanced state of decay of his teeth and his very dirty clothing. The inclination was to dismiss him as yet another beggar stopping by for a hand-out, to see him as a failed human being. It's so much easier to deal with human need by judging someone as 'lazy and therefore deserving of their situation,' than it is to love him and be drawn into his crisis. But, who am I to look down on this man? Do I know how or why he came to this state? Can I so quickly assume that it is just a flawed character or failure to make good choices? That may well be true. It might also be that he suffers from mental illness; that he was abused terribly as a child and is deeply emotionally scarred; that some life trauma left him unable to cope with life; or ....
Yes, life is far too complex to understand another human being in 30 seconds!
God judges and asks me to love! He alone sees the full context of another's life. I see but a small window of time. That is why Jesus says, "Don’t condemn others, and God won’t condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them. You can see the speck in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the log in your own eye. How can you say, "My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you don’t see the log in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:1-4, CEV) There are days when I fail miserably, when I am short-tempered, full of Self, in the grip of my sinful nature! But those days have a context within my whole life. Sometimes they come when I am weary from the struggle or overwhelmed with responsibilities. God does not suspend His expectations of me when life is hard, but neither does He dismiss me as a failure on the bad days! The Bible teaches me that He comes to me in those moments as my Comforter, my Advocate; Who "helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26, NIV)
Pray for grace to love them all;
the good, the bad;
the whole, the broken;
the clean, the dirty;
the together, the fragmented;
the beautiful, the marred.
It's costly to love those in need. Love will not allow us to turn from them or to blame them for their plight! Love will engage, hope, invest, and redeem. That's what love did for me. I am a debtor to grace, with no reason for pride! Here's a word from the Word. May it help us to love them all! "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:7-11, NIV)
_____________________________
I was sinking deep in sin,
Far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within,
Sinking to rise no more.
But the Master of the sea
Heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me;
Now safe am I.
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
Love lifted me.
Love lifted me.
Souls in danger, look above;
Jesus completely saves.
He will lift you by His love
Out of the angry waves.
He's the Master of the sea,
Billows His will obey.
He your Savior wants to be,
Be saved today.
Love Lifted Me
Howard E. Smith © Public Domain
Yes, life is far too complex to understand another human being in 30 seconds!
God judges and asks me to love! He alone sees the full context of another's life. I see but a small window of time. That is why Jesus says, "Don’t condemn others, and God won’t condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them. You can see the speck in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the log in your own eye. How can you say, "My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you don’t see the log in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:1-4, CEV) There are days when I fail miserably, when I am short-tempered, full of Self, in the grip of my sinful nature! But those days have a context within my whole life. Sometimes they come when I am weary from the struggle or overwhelmed with responsibilities. God does not suspend His expectations of me when life is hard, but neither does He dismiss me as a failure on the bad days! The Bible teaches me that He comes to me in those moments as my Comforter, my Advocate; Who "helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26, NIV)
Pray for grace to love them all;
the good, the bad;
the whole, the broken;
the clean, the dirty;
the together, the fragmented;
the beautiful, the marred.
It's costly to love those in need. Love will not allow us to turn from them or to blame them for their plight! Love will engage, hope, invest, and redeem. That's what love did for me. I am a debtor to grace, with no reason for pride! Here's a word from the Word. May it help us to love them all! "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:7-11, NIV)
_____________________________
I was sinking deep in sin,
Far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within,
Sinking to rise no more.
But the Master of the sea
Heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me;
Now safe am I.
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
Love lifted me.
Love lifted me.
Souls in danger, look above;
Jesus completely saves.
He will lift you by His love
Out of the angry waves.
He's the Master of the sea,
Billows His will obey.
He your Savior wants to be,
Be saved today.
Love Lifted Me
Howard E. Smith © Public Domain
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
"Lord, send me!"
When I was a little boy I loved when missionaries came to our church. They laid out pottery, animals skins, and hand-made tools from countries far away. They showed slides of churches in jungles full of people who looked so much different from me. And, they told amazing stories about fording raging rivers, holding great revivals, and the ways that God sent them just what they needed at the last minute! Somehow I began to think that missionaries were the really great Christians, God's Special Forces, with a higher calling than the rest of us. More than one Sunday night, during the prayer time that always ended the meetings, I told the Lord that if He wanted me in the jungle somewhere, I was ready to go. Those prayers, I realized as I grew older, reflected more of a child's romantic notions of adventure than a sense of Heaven's high calling!
I now know that God's calling doesn't start when a person boards a flight to Zimbabwe or Uzbekistan to be a missionary! People in desperate need live in my city. The work to bring Christ to them may not be as exotic, the stories not so dramatic; but the need is just as great. Familiarity can - and indeed often does - blind us to the spiritual poverty of our neighbors. Jesus once urged his disciples to take another look, with eyes that could see what was real-
"As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time! " (John 4:35, The Message)
Would He say the same to us, friend?
Would He urge us to take another look at our extended families, our next door neighbors, our fellow Americans taking note of their spiritual hunger?
Bringing the Gospel to our neighbors probably won't involve a big tent filled with half-naked kids, like the missionary's pictures showed. It isn't all that likely that we will have to cross flood-swollen rivers in a dug-out canoe to preach to a remote village or face the danger of a local chief's hostility! (Yep, I remember those stories like I heard them yesterday!) Our missions work will be done in the ordinary - praying faithfully for people to know Him, living a life that is remarkable for the beauty of His holiness, loving when unloved, maintaining hope when others are despairing.
America needs missionaries, and God is calling us to service. We are a nation is inundated with pornography, enslaved by greed, and deceived by pleasure worship. Our political system is broken, our justice system is failing, our prisons are overflowing; the poor grow poorer, the powerful oppress. Covenants are meaningless, churches are lifeless, religion is everywhere, but God is ignored even by many 'Christians.'
The words of an ancient prophet challenged me today. I pray they will stir you, take you to your knees, and cause you to report for duty in the service of the Lord.
"God's message came to me .. "Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can’t tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there’s no difference between right and wrong. They’re contemptuous of my holy Sabbaths, profaning me by trying to pull me down to their level. Your politicians are like wolves prowling and killing and rapaciously taking whatever they want. Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, "This is what God, the Master, says …" when God hasn’t said so much as one word. Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.’
"I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it." - (Ezekiel 22:26-30, The Message)
He's looking for someone to 'stand in the gap.' Will you?
______________________________________
Touch through me, Holy Spirit,
Touch through me.
Let my hands reach out to others
Touch through me.
There's a lonely soul somewhere
Needing just one friend to care.
Touch through me, Holy Spirit,
Touch through me.
My hands will be Your hands
Reaching out to others.
My lips will not be slothful,
Lord, to speak.
I will be that good Samaritan
To someone else in need.
I will be Your house to dwell in
Live through me.
Touch Through Me
Dottie Rambo © 1981 John T. Benson Publishing Company (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Coolsprings Blvd., Franklin TN 37067)CCLI License No. 810055
I now know that God's calling doesn't start when a person boards a flight to Zimbabwe or Uzbekistan to be a missionary! People in desperate need live in my city. The work to bring Christ to them may not be as exotic, the stories not so dramatic; but the need is just as great. Familiarity can - and indeed often does - blind us to the spiritual poverty of our neighbors. Jesus once urged his disciples to take another look, with eyes that could see what was real-
"As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time! " (John 4:35, The Message)
Would He say the same to us, friend?
Would He urge us to take another look at our extended families, our next door neighbors, our fellow Americans taking note of their spiritual hunger?
Bringing the Gospel to our neighbors probably won't involve a big tent filled with half-naked kids, like the missionary's pictures showed. It isn't all that likely that we will have to cross flood-swollen rivers in a dug-out canoe to preach to a remote village or face the danger of a local chief's hostility! (Yep, I remember those stories like I heard them yesterday!) Our missions work will be done in the ordinary - praying faithfully for people to know Him, living a life that is remarkable for the beauty of His holiness, loving when unloved, maintaining hope when others are despairing.
America needs missionaries, and God is calling us to service. We are a nation is inundated with pornography, enslaved by greed, and deceived by pleasure worship. Our political system is broken, our justice system is failing, our prisons are overflowing; the poor grow poorer, the powerful oppress. Covenants are meaningless, churches are lifeless, religion is everywhere, but God is ignored even by many 'Christians.'
The words of an ancient prophet challenged me today. I pray they will stir you, take you to your knees, and cause you to report for duty in the service of the Lord.
"God's message came to me .. "Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can’t tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there’s no difference between right and wrong. They’re contemptuous of my holy Sabbaths, profaning me by trying to pull me down to their level. Your politicians are like wolves prowling and killing and rapaciously taking whatever they want. Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, "This is what God, the Master, says …" when God hasn’t said so much as one word. Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.’
"I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it." - (Ezekiel 22:26-30, The Message)
He's looking for someone to 'stand in the gap.' Will you?
______________________________________
Touch through me, Holy Spirit,
Touch through me.
Let my hands reach out to others
Touch through me.
There's a lonely soul somewhere
Needing just one friend to care.
Touch through me, Holy Spirit,
Touch through me.
My hands will be Your hands
Reaching out to others.
My lips will not be slothful,
Lord, to speak.
I will be that good Samaritan
To someone else in need.
I will be Your house to dwell in
Live through me.
Touch Through Me
Dottie Rambo © 1981 John T. Benson Publishing Company (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Coolsprings Blvd., Franklin TN 37067)CCLI License No. 810055
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Adventure of this Day
Predictable, controlled - that's me! Surprise parties are not my thing. Unexpected guests raise my stress levels. Chaotic situations call a response from me to impose order or if that is not possible, to escape at the earliest opportunity. But the God I serve is not willing to submit Himself to my rules, my expectations, or my controls. Instead, He invites me to live the adventure that is His will. Who can really explain why God does what He does? When I read the story of Joseph and see the twists and turns of what some might call fate I realize that the Bible is very clear in communicating that God was in it all, even using the sins of others to accomplish His plan. He used scheming, jealous brothers to get Joseph from the sheep fields to Egypt. He used a wife looking for an affair to take Joseph from Potiphar's comfortable house to the Pharaoh's palace! Wasn't there another way, a less painful route for Joseph? Apparently not!
I am quite certain that God does not make anyone sin or do evil. The Bible says that "God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." (James 1:13, NIV) But, the mystery of faith compels me to believe that He is both aware of the evil and where it rises up, He is capable of using it to His purposes. This mystery is at the heart of the story of the Cross of Christ! An ugly method of torture, used by the Romans to impose order through terror on their far-flung empire, became the means that God used to offer up Himself for our sins. Evil men crucified Christ and, as they spilled His blood on the earth, love and life blossomed. Rational? Not really! It is revealed Truth, accepted by faith.
That said, I must emphasize that we are not fatalists, adrift in life, just making the best of a bad situation. The Lord calls us to work to build His kingdom, to defeat sin and evil wherever we find it. At the very same time, He works through suffering to make us more like Jesus. Our best response to life's unpredictability is to choose faith, childlike trust in Him.
Does that seem a daunting challenge? Know this: He does not ask you to muster up such faith on your own. The Spirit is actively helping you, right now, to stand. The Bible teaches us that "the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory." (Romans 8:26-30, NLT)
The following words were scratched into a wall of the Warsaw Ghetto by an unknown Jew during the Second World War. Death was all around. The face of God was obscured by terrible darkness. But, faith was there too. Take a look.
"I believe in the sun, even if it does not shine.
I believe in love even if I do not feel it.
I believe in God, even if I do not see Him."
Ask God this day for faith to walk the adventure that is life, without fear, boldly trusting Him to lead the way. Here's a word from the Word. I pray for this to nourish your soul as you receive it right now.
"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.. . . It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. . . .
By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff." (Hebrews 11:1,6,24-26, The Message)
____________________________
Oh, lead me to the place where I can find You.
Oh, lead me to the place where You'll be.
Lead me to the cross where we first met,
Draw me to my knees so we can talk.
Let me feel Your breath,
Let me know You're here with me.
Oh, Lead Me
Martin Smith © 1994 Curious? Music UK (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
I am quite certain that God does not make anyone sin or do evil. The Bible says that "God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." (James 1:13, NIV) But, the mystery of faith compels me to believe that He is both aware of the evil and where it rises up, He is capable of using it to His purposes. This mystery is at the heart of the story of the Cross of Christ! An ugly method of torture, used by the Romans to impose order through terror on their far-flung empire, became the means that God used to offer up Himself for our sins. Evil men crucified Christ and, as they spilled His blood on the earth, love and life blossomed. Rational? Not really! It is revealed Truth, accepted by faith.
That said, I must emphasize that we are not fatalists, adrift in life, just making the best of a bad situation. The Lord calls us to work to build His kingdom, to defeat sin and evil wherever we find it. At the very same time, He works through suffering to make us more like Jesus. Our best response to life's unpredictability is to choose faith, childlike trust in Him.
Does that seem a daunting challenge? Know this: He does not ask you to muster up such faith on your own. The Spirit is actively helping you, right now, to stand. The Bible teaches us that "the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory." (Romans 8:26-30, NLT)
The following words were scratched into a wall of the Warsaw Ghetto by an unknown Jew during the Second World War. Death was all around. The face of God was obscured by terrible darkness. But, faith was there too. Take a look.
"I believe in the sun, even if it does not shine.
I believe in love even if I do not feel it.
I believe in God, even if I do not see Him."
Ask God this day for faith to walk the adventure that is life, without fear, boldly trusting Him to lead the way. Here's a word from the Word. I pray for this to nourish your soul as you receive it right now.
"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.. . . It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. . . .
By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff." (Hebrews 11:1,6,24-26, The Message)
____________________________
Oh, lead me to the place where I can find You.
Oh, lead me to the place where You'll be.
Lead me to the cross where we first met,
Draw me to my knees so we can talk.
Let me feel Your breath,
Let me know You're here with me.
Oh, Lead Me
Martin Smith © 1994 Curious? Music UK (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, September 12, 2008
"Get Over Yourself!"
There are few things smaller than a person wrapped up in himself. I watched a grown man make a fool of himself recently over a cup of coffee. He badgered the kids at the Dunkin' counter three times because they didn't get it just right. ("You didn't add enough cream." New cup poured. "This tastes like it isn't fresh." Another new cup poured. "Did you put any sugar in it?" Sir, perhaps you could stir it or add some at the counter. He left making loud noises about the establishment and the 'idiots' that were employed there.) I felt shame for him, and regretfully remembered too many similar episodes from my own past. (Oh, Lord forgive me.) Yes, I sometimes get irritated when a server does not care enough to do a good job, too. But, I have learned that the stress that insisting that they 'get it right' usually outweighs going and adding some sugar myself.
Just yesterday, I contacted Dell support for an issue with my laptop. The tech determined that my computer wasn't properly registered to my company (huh?) and that before he could assist me, I would have to re-register it with Dell. There was a time when that kind of thing would have created enough anger in me to ruin the rest of the day. Yesterday, I simply told him (really, from my heart!) that I understood the limitations he was dealing with and thanked him for his help.... and promptly moved on, without giving it another thought. I know the rest of my day went better and I hope the rest of his did, too.
In our busy often depersonalized society it is a natural reaction to want to be treated with respect, to have those who are being paid to pour our coffee or fix our computer care about what they do. Rudeness and apathy abound, to be sure. But, the paradox is this: the more protective of our 'rights' that you and I become, the more angry and alienated we are likely to be. If we give up our demand to be served, begin to treat others as we want to be treated (didn't Jesus say something about that?) we release joy into our environment, a joy from which we benefit. And, when we are less stressed, we are better able to cope with the issues of life and sense the flow of God's Spirit in and around us.
Sooner or later, there will some situation that comes into your life that no amount of fussing, fuming, cussin', screaming, kicking, or even praying will change. If you're obsessed with having your way, you will only deepen your misery. So, why not just get over yourself, now? Why not dethrone Self and learn to live a life of love?
As you ponder this today, consider the words of Jesus. Pray for grace to put them into practice, from the smallest incidents to the really BIG issues. And, you will experience grace, peace, and joy; God's gifts to His children.
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do us a favor." "What is your request?" he asked.
They replied, "When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left."
But Jesus said to them, "You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?"
"Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!"
Then Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen."
When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:35-45, NLT)
Jesus, Others, You - what a wonderful way to spell - JOY!
Just yesterday, I contacted Dell support for an issue with my laptop. The tech determined that my computer wasn't properly registered to my company (huh?) and that before he could assist me, I would have to re-register it with Dell. There was a time when that kind of thing would have created enough anger in me to ruin the rest of the day. Yesterday, I simply told him (really, from my heart!) that I understood the limitations he was dealing with and thanked him for his help.... and promptly moved on, without giving it another thought. I know the rest of my day went better and I hope the rest of his did, too.
In our busy often depersonalized society it is a natural reaction to want to be treated with respect, to have those who are being paid to pour our coffee or fix our computer care about what they do. Rudeness and apathy abound, to be sure. But, the paradox is this: the more protective of our 'rights' that you and I become, the more angry and alienated we are likely to be. If we give up our demand to be served, begin to treat others as we want to be treated (didn't Jesus say something about that?) we release joy into our environment, a joy from which we benefit. And, when we are less stressed, we are better able to cope with the issues of life and sense the flow of God's Spirit in and around us.
Sooner or later, there will some situation that comes into your life that no amount of fussing, fuming, cussin', screaming, kicking, or even praying will change. If you're obsessed with having your way, you will only deepen your misery. So, why not just get over yourself, now? Why not dethrone Self and learn to live a life of love?
As you ponder this today, consider the words of Jesus. Pray for grace to put them into practice, from the smallest incidents to the really BIG issues. And, you will experience grace, peace, and joy; God's gifts to His children.
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do us a favor." "What is your request?" he asked.
They replied, "When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left."
But Jesus said to them, "You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?"
"Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!"
Then Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen."
When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:35-45, NLT)
Jesus, Others, You - what a wonderful way to spell - JOY!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Do YOU Remember?
Where were you seven years ago today?
Do you remember how you felt when you saw the images of flames shooting out of the twin towers and smoke ascending from the Pentagon? I remember!
And, I also remember the days that followed 9/11/01! I remember the courtesy in shopping lines, the open friendliness on the street, the time to talk and share and even cry. I remember the people that gathered in churches across these United States to pray and just to be together.
Then, once the crisis passed, America quickly returned to the old patterns. The God that we sought when desperate, was soon relegated to the back shelf, and wickedness increased all the more. Pleasure, sex, greed, and injustice became even more widespread. We are like ancient Rome demanding that our emperor bring us pleasure even as the culture collapses into greater depravity year by year.
I wonder what might have happened if genuine spiritual renewal had taken root broadly across the nation seven years ago, don't you?
Would the national economy be in tatters because of Wall Street greed, mortgages issued on flimsy hopes of continuing property value escalation, and a ruinous war debt?
Would we have continued to consume energy in ever bigger houses and cars, or would we have chosen a more sane route of increased supply and conservation that would have kept energy affordable for all?
Would the 2008 election debates be about how to take care of those in need of health care, how to assure the well-being of our increasingly aging population, and how to strengthen families that are the foundation of a solid, prosperous nation instead of silly debates about celebrity, moose hunting, and lipstick on pigs? (If you haven't been tuned for the last couple of days, you won't get that one!)
On the Sunday following the tragic events of 9/11/01, here's what I said across the pulpit. I think it's still worth saying, probably even more so today. My three major points that Sunday were: _______________________________
1. Jesus reminds us that turmoil and uncertainty will be a part of life, but we need not be PANICKED!
2. Take precautions to keep yourself from becoming spiritually dull because of excessive entanglement with the affairs of this transitory world.
3. Faithfulness is required. So, He calls us to "Be always on the watch... pray for strength...."
"The events of this week do not necessarily point to the imminent return of Christ, but they do remind us that we are soldiers on duty in the ongoing battle with evil. Our response? We must re-double our commitment to the cause of Christ. We need to hear these tragedies as a wake-up call to those who call themselves Believers. I thought of Jesus' words that are recorded in Revelation 3:14-21: (The Message) are particularly appropriate:
'Write to Laodicea, to the Angel of the church. God's Yes, the Faithful and Accurate Witness, the First of God's creation, says: "I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot--far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, 'I'm rich, I've got it made, I need nothing from anyone,' oblivious that in fact you're a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.
Here's what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that's been through the refiner's fire. Then you'll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You've gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see.The people I love, I call to account--prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!
Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That's my gift to the conquerors! "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.'
Has prosperity caused you to put God on life's back burner?
Has comfort caused you to treat God as irrelevant?
Jesus said that the kind of terrors that fell on us this week will be an occasion for true disciples to show their colors, to demonstrate the reality of the Gospel's transforming truth.
Friends and family will ask 'why' and look for hope. Don't give them platitudes or sensational prophecies, born in the fertile imaginations of TV preachers. Instead, tell them you too are amazed by the mysteries of God's plan, but that you are secure in the certainty of God's power to do all that He planned including keeping YOU spiritually safe.The Apostle Paul, sat on Death Row in Rome, and wrote: "I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. "
Answer those who ask the great 'what' questions with both words and actions.
What is the meaning of life?
What is our purpose?
We can explain that we live in a world filled with sin and men controlled by sinful human nature. We can, boldly declare, that those whose hope is fixed in this temporary world will always be disappointed and have a life without a solid foundation. When people are afraid, insecure and have shattered hope in mankind, we can use this as an opportunity to share the hope of Jesus Christ. But our words only have the ring of authenticity IF others see that they are WORDS WE LIVE BY.
Are you afraid? Take another look at the Word of God which tells us this world is passing away and all that is in it. Those who hope in the world will be troubled and distressed. We who hope in Christ have peace and our peace becomes a testimony to draw others to the solid Rock, Jesus Christ."
____________________________________
Though first spoken seven years, the message is still valid, disciple! Amen
Full text of that sermon can be read at http://www.washingtonag.com/whatnow.htm
Do you remember how you felt when you saw the images of flames shooting out of the twin towers and smoke ascending from the Pentagon? I remember!
And, I also remember the days that followed 9/11/01! I remember the courtesy in shopping lines, the open friendliness on the street, the time to talk and share and even cry. I remember the people that gathered in churches across these United States to pray and just to be together.
Then, once the crisis passed, America quickly returned to the old patterns. The God that we sought when desperate, was soon relegated to the back shelf, and wickedness increased all the more. Pleasure, sex, greed, and injustice became even more widespread. We are like ancient Rome demanding that our emperor bring us pleasure even as the culture collapses into greater depravity year by year.
I wonder what might have happened if genuine spiritual renewal had taken root broadly across the nation seven years ago, don't you?
Would the national economy be in tatters because of Wall Street greed, mortgages issued on flimsy hopes of continuing property value escalation, and a ruinous war debt?
Would we have continued to consume energy in ever bigger houses and cars, or would we have chosen a more sane route of increased supply and conservation that would have kept energy affordable for all?
Would the 2008 election debates be about how to take care of those in need of health care, how to assure the well-being of our increasingly aging population, and how to strengthen families that are the foundation of a solid, prosperous nation instead of silly debates about celebrity, moose hunting, and lipstick on pigs? (If you haven't been tuned for the last couple of days, you won't get that one!)
On the Sunday following the tragic events of 9/11/01, here's what I said across the pulpit. I think it's still worth saying, probably even more so today. My three major points that Sunday were: _______________________________
1. Jesus reminds us that turmoil and uncertainty will be a part of life, but we need not be PANICKED!
2. Take precautions to keep yourself from becoming spiritually dull because of excessive entanglement with the affairs of this transitory world.
3. Faithfulness is required. So, He calls us to "Be always on the watch... pray for strength...."
"The events of this week do not necessarily point to the imminent return of Christ, but they do remind us that we are soldiers on duty in the ongoing battle with evil. Our response? We must re-double our commitment to the cause of Christ. We need to hear these tragedies as a wake-up call to those who call themselves Believers. I thought of Jesus' words that are recorded in Revelation 3:14-21: (The Message) are particularly appropriate:
'Write to Laodicea, to the Angel of the church. God's Yes, the Faithful and Accurate Witness, the First of God's creation, says: "I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot--far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, 'I'm rich, I've got it made, I need nothing from anyone,' oblivious that in fact you're a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.
Here's what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that's been through the refiner's fire. Then you'll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You've gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see.The people I love, I call to account--prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!
Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That's my gift to the conquerors! "Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.'
Has prosperity caused you to put God on life's back burner?
Has comfort caused you to treat God as irrelevant?
Jesus said that the kind of terrors that fell on us this week will be an occasion for true disciples to show their colors, to demonstrate the reality of the Gospel's transforming truth.
Friends and family will ask 'why' and look for hope. Don't give them platitudes or sensational prophecies, born in the fertile imaginations of TV preachers. Instead, tell them you too are amazed by the mysteries of God's plan, but that you are secure in the certainty of God's power to do all that He planned including keeping YOU spiritually safe.The Apostle Paul, sat on Death Row in Rome, and wrote: "I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. "
Answer those who ask the great 'what' questions with both words and actions.
What is the meaning of life?
What is our purpose?
We can explain that we live in a world filled with sin and men controlled by sinful human nature. We can, boldly declare, that those whose hope is fixed in this temporary world will always be disappointed and have a life without a solid foundation. When people are afraid, insecure and have shattered hope in mankind, we can use this as an opportunity to share the hope of Jesus Christ. But our words only have the ring of authenticity IF others see that they are WORDS WE LIVE BY.
Are you afraid? Take another look at the Word of God which tells us this world is passing away and all that is in it. Those who hope in the world will be troubled and distressed. We who hope in Christ have peace and our peace becomes a testimony to draw others to the solid Rock, Jesus Christ."
____________________________________
Though first spoken seven years, the message is still valid, disciple! Amen
Full text of that sermon can be read at http://www.washingtonag.com/whatnow.htm
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
"Satan hindered us!"
In both politics and preaching, I despise fear-mongering! So, I promise you that this TFTD is not an exercise in fear-mongering. It is a reminder of the reality of the Adversary who is active in his pursuit of the destruction, where possible, of God's work in this world!
An article crossed my desk yesterday about yet another pastor who succumbed to sexual sin, whose ministry was wrecked. The writer said that the usual response is to attempt to put such sad and sordid episodes behind us as quickly as possible, trying to forget they ever happened. He suggested a different response - "I want to put it on a twenty-by-twenty foot plasma screen in high definition for every set of eyes." What's up with that? Is he some kind of voyeur? Does he take a perverse interest in such sin? Not at all. He explains that he wants disciples to understand that there is a real Satan, who is very evil, who seeks to destroy them if given the slightest opportunity.
We, who belong to Jesus Christ and who are committed to His cause, must find the proper balance between real respect for our Adversary without falling into terror. A serious student of the Scripture comes to understand that the devil is not imaginary or a shadow in our psyche!
That said, we must not marginalize the devil to such an extent that we become unaware of his schemes so that we become a pawn in his plans. The Word tells us that we must not "unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!" (2 Corinthians 2:11, The Message) Paul, in one of his letters, asserts that devil continues to exploit every opportunity he can find. He wrote, "Brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us." (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18, NKJV)
The trumpet of Truth sounds out loudly with this great assurance, however. "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4, NIV)
So, disciple, retain a healthy respect for the adversary, but never cower in fear before him. "Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13, NIV)
How can we keep our confidence and be found faithful until the end?
First, we put our full confidence in Christ Jesus, our Savior, not on our skill, experience, or intelligence.
Second, we learn the Scripture and let the Truth set us free!
Third, we say the same thing about sin that God says. We don't excuse it. We don't allow ourselves to put a veneer of acceptability on anything offensive word or action.
Fourth, we walk in obedience right now! Dealing with temptation by dying to self is so much easier than cleaning up the mess that results from falling into sin.
Fifth, we forgive constantly so that no bitterness finds root in our heart to produce evil fruit!
And, we live prayerfully before God's Throne, so that the Spirit fills us, anew, each day.
____________________________
Come, Thou Almighty King.
Help us Thy name to sing.
Help us to praise.
Father, all glorious,
O'er all victorious.
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.
Come, Thou Incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword,
Our prayer attend.
Come, and Thy people bless,
And give Thy Word success.
Spirit of holiness,
On us descend.
Come, Holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour.
Thou who almighty art,
Now rule in every heart;
And ne'er from us depart,
Spirit of power.
O Lord, our God, to Thee
The highest praises be,
Hence, evermore;
Thy sov'reign majesty
May we in glory see,
And to eternity
Love and adore.
Charles Wesley
© Public Domain
An article crossed my desk yesterday about yet another pastor who succumbed to sexual sin, whose ministry was wrecked. The writer said that the usual response is to attempt to put such sad and sordid episodes behind us as quickly as possible, trying to forget they ever happened. He suggested a different response - "I want to put it on a twenty-by-twenty foot plasma screen in high definition for every set of eyes." What's up with that? Is he some kind of voyeur? Does he take a perverse interest in such sin? Not at all. He explains that he wants disciples to understand that there is a real Satan, who is very evil, who seeks to destroy them if given the slightest opportunity.
We, who belong to Jesus Christ and who are committed to His cause, must find the proper balance between real respect for our Adversary without falling into terror. A serious student of the Scripture comes to understand that the devil is not imaginary or a shadow in our psyche!
- Jesus variously describes him as "the prince of this world," "a murderer," and as "a liar and the father of lies."
- Paul calls him "the god of this age."
- Peter uses a powerful metaphor saying he is "a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
- John, with bright, bold strokes, reveals his diabolical nature and plans in the book of the Revelation.
That said, we must not marginalize the devil to such an extent that we become unaware of his schemes so that we become a pawn in his plans. The Word tells us that we must not "unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways!" (2 Corinthians 2:11, The Message) Paul, in one of his letters, asserts that devil continues to exploit every opportunity he can find. He wrote, "Brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us." (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18, NKJV)
The trumpet of Truth sounds out loudly with this great assurance, however. "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4, NIV)
So, disciple, retain a healthy respect for the adversary, but never cower in fear before him. "Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." (Ephesians 6:13, NIV)
How can we keep our confidence and be found faithful until the end?
First, we put our full confidence in Christ Jesus, our Savior, not on our skill, experience, or intelligence.
Second, we learn the Scripture and let the Truth set us free!
Third, we say the same thing about sin that God says. We don't excuse it. We don't allow ourselves to put a veneer of acceptability on anything offensive word or action.
Fourth, we walk in obedience right now! Dealing with temptation by dying to self is so much easier than cleaning up the mess that results from falling into sin.
Fifth, we forgive constantly so that no bitterness finds root in our heart to produce evil fruit!
And, we live prayerfully before God's Throne, so that the Spirit fills us, anew, each day.
____________________________
Come, Thou Almighty King.
Help us Thy name to sing.
Help us to praise.
Father, all glorious,
O'er all victorious.
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.
Come, Thou Incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword,
Our prayer attend.
Come, and Thy people bless,
And give Thy Word success.
Spirit of holiness,
On us descend.
Come, Holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour.
Thou who almighty art,
Now rule in every heart;
And ne'er from us depart,
Spirit of power.
O Lord, our God, to Thee
The highest praises be,
Hence, evermore;
Thy sov'reign majesty
May we in glory see,
And to eternity
Love and adore.
Charles Wesley
© Public Domain
Monday, September 08, 2008
In a little while...
I awakened this morning 'round 4 to go and be with my Dad at his bedside. He said, "Sit down. Pick up my Bible and take out those folded papers." There, in 16 pages of long-hand script, was a sermon he had written in March, 1992 titled- "God's Little Whiles." In an amazing 'coincidence' God used a 16 year old sermon to comfort my Dad in the middle of the night. He doesn't know how those papers came to be in that Bible, nor how that particular old Bible ended up by his bed. But, in His sovereignty, God brought an old sermon to Dad's attention, allowing him to preach a word of encouragement to himself during this of dealing with confinement and cancer!
Dad had written about the disciples whom Jesus told to wait through the dark time surrounding His death, a time when God was accomplishing the great work of atonement, through terrible suffering at the Cross. It was a message built around a text from John 16:16 (KJV) words spoken on the night of the Last Supper. "A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father." Those men were about to enter into a 'little while' when they would find God's plan incomprehensible. Dad's points in that sermon were -
A. Listen to what God says.
B. Trust His Word. And,
C. Exercise persistence as you cling to His Word.
Every parent says to their children, at one time or another, "We will get to do that in a little while. Other things have to be accomplished first, then we can do what you desire." Then, that parent gets busy or they forget and that 'little while' stretches into an hour, or a day, and the child wonders about the probability of the promise. I've been on both sides of that deal! I remember waiting for little whiles that seemed to never end, and I remember my own children saying, "Dad, is it time yet? Are you ready to do what you said you would do?"
Disciple, as you anticipate the challenges of this new week, there are likely some situations where God's perfect plan is in the process of being worked out. It may be that you are wondering what God is doing, why He's taking so long, or even if He's forgotten a promise He made to you. Take a lesson from the text "A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father."
Then, wait with a listening ear, with a trusting heart, and in patient persistence of faith. God's 'little whiles' do stretch on for us, but we need to keep in mind that His clock ticks so differently from ours. He has no urgency for "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Peter 3:8, KJV)
_______________________
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away.
Oh let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire.
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh may my love to Thee
Pure, warm and changeless be,
A living fire.
While life's dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread
Be Thou my Guide.
Bid darkness turn to day;
Wipe sorrow's tears away;
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside!
When ends life's transient dream,
When death's cold sullen stream
Shall o'er me roll,
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove.
Oh bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul.
My Faith Looks Up To Thee
© Public Domain
Dad had written about the disciples whom Jesus told to wait through the dark time surrounding His death, a time when God was accomplishing the great work of atonement, through terrible suffering at the Cross. It was a message built around a text from John 16:16 (KJV) words spoken on the night of the Last Supper. "A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father." Those men were about to enter into a 'little while' when they would find God's plan incomprehensible. Dad's points in that sermon were -
A. Listen to what God says.
B. Trust His Word. And,
C. Exercise persistence as you cling to His Word.
Every parent says to their children, at one time or another, "We will get to do that in a little while. Other things have to be accomplished first, then we can do what you desire." Then, that parent gets busy or they forget and that 'little while' stretches into an hour, or a day, and the child wonders about the probability of the promise. I've been on both sides of that deal! I remember waiting for little whiles that seemed to never end, and I remember my own children saying, "Dad, is it time yet? Are you ready to do what you said you would do?"
Disciple, as you anticipate the challenges of this new week, there are likely some situations where God's perfect plan is in the process of being worked out. It may be that you are wondering what God is doing, why He's taking so long, or even if He's forgotten a promise He made to you. Take a lesson from the text "A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father."
Then, wait with a listening ear, with a trusting heart, and in patient persistence of faith. God's 'little whiles' do stretch on for us, but we need to keep in mind that His clock ticks so differently from ours. He has no urgency for "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Peter 3:8, KJV)
_______________________
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away.
Oh let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire.
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh may my love to Thee
Pure, warm and changeless be,
A living fire.
While life's dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread
Be Thou my Guide.
Bid darkness turn to day;
Wipe sorrow's tears away;
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside!
When ends life's transient dream,
When death's cold sullen stream
Shall o'er me roll,
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove.
Oh bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul.
My Faith Looks Up To Thee
© Public Domain
Friday, September 05, 2008
Prepared to live, or just to die?
99% of the time I love my vocation which is to serve a local congregation as their pastor. Nobody has to bribe me to get me to work. No one has to threaten me to get me to produce. If I could, I would do what I do without being paid. Why? Because my heart is in this; it's my life. I believe in the Church, that she holds the key to making a better world and the answer to the spiritual hunger of every human being. I have a passion for the Gospel of Christ. If you talk with me for more than a few moments, you're going to hear about two things- my family and the church! Because those loves are deep in my heart, they surface quickly in my conversation. By way of contrast. I know many who dread going to work every morning, dragging their feet all the way and living for the weekend. They work just for the money! I do hope that your daily work is about something you love and believe in, but that's not the main point of this TFTD.
- Why are you a Christian?
- How do you serve Christ and His kingdom?
Some people's Christianity is primarily focused on getting to Heaven and keeping out of trouble with God. Dallas Willard says, "Some Christians are better prepared to die than they are to live!" Their faith is not shaped around loving Jesus Christ nor do they really have a heart-deep conviction that the purpose of life is found in knowing Jesus. But they do believe that Eternity is real and that God exists so.... they participate in Christianity at a minimal level hoping to appease God and escape Judgment. The tragic truth about this kind of spirituality is that it robs that person of joy in both worlds! They do not get to enjoy making money, seeking pleasure, and feeding their sensual appetites because they afraid of offending the Lord, and they don't enjoy a close walk with the Spirit of God because they are unwilling to completely surrender to Him.
More than once I have counseled with those who are torn between the desire to do their own thing and their knowledge of God's way. They try desperately to keep a foot in each world, living sinfully and sensually and then pleading with God for forgiveness. The roller coaster of guilt and relief nearly drives them mad! My advice is simple - "Choose now!" Get your heart into one place or the other, but do not attempt to straddle the fence! That's what Joshua advised the nation of Israel, too. “Honor the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”" (Joshua 24:14-15, NLT)
This challenge to choose is one that recurs again and again in the Bible. Moses, in his final address to Israel, laid out the 'blessings' and 'curses.' That sermon which is recorded in the ending chapters of Deuteronomy are an interesting study in choice and consequence! Elijah stood before the king and leaders of Israel at Mt. Carmel and threw down this challenge - “How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal (a god worshipped by the Canaanite people), follow him. Make up your minds!” (1 Kings 18:21, The Message)
Believer, get your heart into it. Choose God. Make Him first - in your affections, in your priorities of time use, in your finances. Love for God is not just about warm, fuzzy emotions that we feel in those occasional times of high worship, or at a beautiful sunset, or... whatever. Love for God is about our daily choices. Our hearts will follow our choice. IF we choose Him, place our affections on Him, we will find great joy in the offering of ourselves. His love will grow in us.
Here's a word from the Word to ponder today - Jesus says, “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends." (Revelation 3:20, NLT) What's your choice?
__________________________
This is the air I breathe,
This is the air I breathe,
Your Holy Presence living in me.
This is my Daily Bread,
This is my Daily Bread,
Your very word spoken to me.
And I, I'm desp'rate for You.
And I, I'm lost without You.
© 1995 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services) CCLI License No. 810055
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Great Christians are not accidents!
There is a misconception widespread that becoming a disciple whose life is filled with the character of Jesus Christ is something that just sort of happens if you happen to be fortunate (blessed?) enough to have the right kind of parents and the right kind of church. Then, too, we seem to believe that failure and moral collapse results from some kind of bad luck, too. We speak of someone 'falling into sin' as though we have no idea how or why it happened, as though it is a a fluke of fate. You can become a great Christian, or you can hang around sin until you fall. It's your choice!
Some of you are saying, "Wait a minute, Jerry, you sound like you're suggesting we can save ourselves." No, I'm not! God, the Holy Spirit, is our life and Christ Jesus the One who has reconciled us to our Heavenly Father. My point is that we are not passive, waiting around for the character of Christ to emerge in us. We are called to be active in a process of spiritual formation, that is practicing the disciplines of life that allow the character of Christ to grow in us replacing the power of sin over us. Richard Foster and Dallas Willard have taught at length on this subject. Willard writes, "Spiritual formation does not aim at controlling action." (The Great Omission, 2006, Harper Row) He goes on to point out that Christianity is not a 12 step group where we rehearse our failures and try to do better. Nor are we rigid rule-keepers that force a veneer of spirituality into place over a heart full of ugly sins and lusts. We enter joyfully into a process of transformation by loving Jesus Christ actively and change from the inside out.
God gives us the tools required for change. First among them, the Scripture's Truth. "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." (Joshua 1:8, NLT) Want to know why so many disciples are so wobbly weak, so inconsistent, so unreliable? They are on a spiritual starvation diet! They know the TV schedule better than they know the Bible. They can recite sports stats with passion but have no working knowledge of the Scripture or what it means! That word, "meditate" is very instructive when we explore the Hebrew root for it. It is alternately translated with these words: "growl, utter, muse, and mutter!" The Scripture needs to be so woven into our mind, so tangled in the thoughts of our heart, that every situation that arises causes us to mutter a passage in ourselves. When we find ourselves ready to judge, our spirit mutters, "Judge not!" When we find ourselves lusting after sex or material possessions, our spirit mutters "Flee youth lusts. Love not the things of this world."
Those who own the Scripture, need not haul out their Bible at every moment, for the Truth is at work within them. "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. ... Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:11,105, NIV)
Read the Gospels with an open heart and you will find much in the words of our Lord Jesus about intentionality.
"Choose to love right things," He says. "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:20-21, NIV)
"Live in humility and serve another," He says. "When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet." (John 13:12-14, NIV) Do you see the importance of daily choices? A great Christian becomes so not by accident but by pursuit of the Holy One, by pressing to stand near to His Lord, and putting the sinful nature to death by the power of God. A Christian who 'falls into sin' does so because the rot in his heart finally works through to the surface. Jesus says it clearly: "You are a bunch of evil snakes, so how can you say anything good? Your words show what is in your hearts. Good people bring good things out of their hearts, but evil people bring evil things out of their hearts." (Matthew 12:34-35, CEV)
So, we present ourselves to God. We learn the Truth and the Spirit reveals it to us. We engage with Him, letting Self die and the Spirit rule. We choose to learn, to serve, to pray, to love, to forgive, to give ... whatever He asks ... and we do so without complaint. That is the process by which God grows great Christians, and others seeing the quality of our lives give Him praise.
___________________
I am Thine O Lord; I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me.
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate me now to Thy service Lord,
By the power of grace divine.
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord.
To Thy precious bleeding side.
Oh the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer and with Thee my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
I Am Thine, O Lord
Fanny J. Crosby © Public Domain
Some of you are saying, "Wait a minute, Jerry, you sound like you're suggesting we can save ourselves." No, I'm not! God, the Holy Spirit, is our life and Christ Jesus the One who has reconciled us to our Heavenly Father. My point is that we are not passive, waiting around for the character of Christ to emerge in us. We are called to be active in a process of spiritual formation, that is practicing the disciplines of life that allow the character of Christ to grow in us replacing the power of sin over us. Richard Foster and Dallas Willard have taught at length on this subject. Willard writes, "Spiritual formation does not aim at controlling action." (The Great Omission, 2006, Harper Row) He goes on to point out that Christianity is not a 12 step group where we rehearse our failures and try to do better. Nor are we rigid rule-keepers that force a veneer of spirituality into place over a heart full of ugly sins and lusts. We enter joyfully into a process of transformation by loving Jesus Christ actively and change from the inside out.
God gives us the tools required for change. First among them, the Scripture's Truth. "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." (Joshua 1:8, NLT) Want to know why so many disciples are so wobbly weak, so inconsistent, so unreliable? They are on a spiritual starvation diet! They know the TV schedule better than they know the Bible. They can recite sports stats with passion but have no working knowledge of the Scripture or what it means! That word, "meditate" is very instructive when we explore the Hebrew root for it. It is alternately translated with these words: "growl, utter, muse, and mutter!" The Scripture needs to be so woven into our mind, so tangled in the thoughts of our heart, that every situation that arises causes us to mutter a passage in ourselves. When we find ourselves ready to judge, our spirit mutters, "Judge not!" When we find ourselves lusting after sex or material possessions, our spirit mutters "Flee youth lusts. Love not the things of this world."
Those who own the Scripture, need not haul out their Bible at every moment, for the Truth is at work within them. "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. ... Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:11,105, NIV)
Read the Gospels with an open heart and you will find much in the words of our Lord Jesus about intentionality.
"Choose to love right things," He says. "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:20-21, NIV)
"Live in humility and serve another," He says. "When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet." (John 13:12-14, NIV) Do you see the importance of daily choices? A great Christian becomes so not by accident but by pursuit of the Holy One, by pressing to stand near to His Lord, and putting the sinful nature to death by the power of God. A Christian who 'falls into sin' does so because the rot in his heart finally works through to the surface. Jesus says it clearly: "You are a bunch of evil snakes, so how can you say anything good? Your words show what is in your hearts. Good people bring good things out of their hearts, but evil people bring evil things out of their hearts." (Matthew 12:34-35, CEV)
So, we present ourselves to God. We learn the Truth and the Spirit reveals it to us. We engage with Him, letting Self die and the Spirit rule. We choose to learn, to serve, to pray, to love, to forgive, to give ... whatever He asks ... and we do so without complaint. That is the process by which God grows great Christians, and others seeing the quality of our lives give Him praise.
___________________
I am Thine O Lord; I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me.
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate me now to Thy service Lord,
By the power of grace divine.
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord.
To Thy precious bleeding side.
Oh the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer and with Thee my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
I Am Thine, O Lord
Fanny J. Crosby © Public Domain
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Got Discernment?
The Pentecostal/Charismatic wing of Christianity, of which I am part both by experience and doctrinal persuasion, is plagued by a major lack of discernment on the part of many who claim to be 'Spirit-filled.' The hunger for the 'supernatural' causes otherwise intelligent people to ignore major warnings, to run all the caution lights, as they chase after the revelations and revivals of one false prophet after another. With tiresome regularity, these men are revealed to be traversing the road of heresy, or perversion, or greed. Jude, who saw the same kind of men in the church in the first century, described them as "shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted-twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever." (Jude 12-13, NIV)
The latest discernment failures were in Orlando, Florida where Todd Bentley held forth night after night telling myriad unbelievable stories of 'supernatural' occurences to crowds who drank up his words without filters or questions. In one incident, a homeless man was alleged to have put his shoes into the offering plate, whereupon "God" was purported to have rained currency from the ceiling! The person who told me that story nearly wept with joy while I just wanted to cry at such gullibility! Then, two weeks ago the world learned that while Bentley was supposedly communing with angels in his hotel room, he was consorting with a female other than his wife. Here is the confirmed story.
real discipleship is about daily choices, made in the context of life with family, friends, and neighbors. No amount of emotionalism, laying claim to fiery experiences of the 'Spirit,' singing of praise songs until a 'spiritual trance' is induced, or other excesses will make you a better disciple or give you greater power in the Kingdom.
Real power in God's work is found in holy obedience, steady endurance, and the quietly transformed life that results from a daily walk with Jesus. It's not about having a spiritual party (what many church gathering are coming to resemble) or 'getting blessed!' The life that honors Christ and really makes a difference for the Kingdom is one in which we realize the importance of being faithful, of honoring commitments, of going to work, of good stewardship of money and possessions, of governing our passions, of getting on our knees whether you feel like it or not.
There are no short-cuts to spiritual depth and authority and victory. Maturity, which brings intimacy with God, humility, and steadiness; cannot be found in a single revival experience, in a book, or in a story that makes you weep. It comes in God's school of character where we choose, daily, our way or His.
Here's a word from the Word. Let it soak into your mind and heart, then pray for the Spirit to take you past emotionalism, past the craving of your sinful nature, and into the deep holiness of God which is beautiful, fulfilling, and defeats the Enemy's schemes.
"No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love-like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.
And so I insist-and God backs me up on this-that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.
But that's no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything-and I do mean everything-connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life-a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you." -
Ephesians 4:14-24, The Message
The latest discernment failures were in Orlando, Florida where Todd Bentley held forth night after night telling myriad unbelievable stories of 'supernatural' occurences to crowds who drank up his words without filters or questions. In one incident, a homeless man was alleged to have put his shoes into the offering plate, whereupon "God" was purported to have rained currency from the ceiling! The person who told me that story nearly wept with joy while I just wanted to cry at such gullibility! Then, two weeks ago the world learned that while Bentley was supposedly communing with angels in his hotel room, he was consorting with a female other than his wife. Here is the confirmed story.
- Evangelist Bentley Stepping Down- Allie Martin
Todd Bentley will step down as head of Fresh Fire Ministries, after the ministry revealed he had an "unhealthy relationship" with a female staffer. That announcement comes one week after Bentley's ministry announced he and his wife were separating. The announcement from the board of directors acknowledged that Bentley had an "unhealthy relationship" on an emotional level with the female staff member. Bentley is best known for leading a series of public meetings in Florida since April that have attracted around 300,000 people to churches and a baseball stadium. The Canadian evangelist will also cease all public meetings, including a 38-city stadium tour of U.S. cities.
In a recent article in Charisma magazine on the meetings, editor Lee Grady said many of those who defended Bentley displayed a "lack of discernment," in part because of a "raw zeal for God." Grady also pointed out that Bentley had serious credibility issues from the beginning of the meetings, claiming to have talked to an angel in his hotel room, and bragging about tackling a man and knocking his tooth out during prayer. "Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs, and wonders than have a quiet Bible study," the Christian journalist wrote. "Our adolescent craving for he wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It's way past time for us to grow up." (Source: OneNewsNow.com http://www.faithnews.cc/articles.cfm?sid=9217
real discipleship is about daily choices, made in the context of life with family, friends, and neighbors. No amount of emotionalism, laying claim to fiery experiences of the 'Spirit,' singing of praise songs until a 'spiritual trance' is induced, or other excesses will make you a better disciple or give you greater power in the Kingdom.
Real power in God's work is found in holy obedience, steady endurance, and the quietly transformed life that results from a daily walk with Jesus. It's not about having a spiritual party (what many church gathering are coming to resemble) or 'getting blessed!' The life that honors Christ and really makes a difference for the Kingdom is one in which we realize the importance of being faithful, of honoring commitments, of going to work, of good stewardship of money and possessions, of governing our passions, of getting on our knees whether you feel like it or not.
There are no short-cuts to spiritual depth and authority and victory. Maturity, which brings intimacy with God, humility, and steadiness; cannot be found in a single revival experience, in a book, or in a story that makes you weep. It comes in God's school of character where we choose, daily, our way or His.
Here's a word from the Word. Let it soak into your mind and heart, then pray for the Spirit to take you past emotionalism, past the craving of your sinful nature, and into the deep holiness of God which is beautiful, fulfilling, and defeats the Enemy's schemes.
"No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love-like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.
And so I insist-and God backs me up on this-that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.
But that's no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything-and I do mean everything-connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life-a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you." -
Ephesians 4:14-24, The Message
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
"I'm Gellin'!" ?
Wind-driven rain blows in his face as he waits for a taxicab. A look of misery is written all over his face, then.... magically some blue gel insoles slide into his shoes and he relaxes, just as the taxicab arrives. As he reaches for the door, another man shoves him aside and jumps in the cab, but our hero doesn't mind because he saying, "I'm gellin'!" The Dr. Scholl's company makes great foot care products and those silly advertising commercials featuring a stressed individual who is suddenly strangely soothed by the amazing gel inserts for shoes that make his feet feel oh, so comfortable! Is that all we need to deal with life's pressures?
The Word offers disciples of Jesus Christ a way to live with serenity! Many of Paul's letters open with this greeting: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 1:2, NIV) In another passage we read that "God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13, NLT) Then there is this oft-quoted verse: "The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7, NIV)
With such great and wonderful promises, why do we spend so much time anxious, worried, and at odds with those around us?
Living in the peace of God requires more than sole inserts. At issue is the state of our soul! Buddhism suggests that the road to bliss is the way of detachment. Is the peace of the Christ-follower found in detachment? No! We need not escape to a monastery, move to the mountains of Montana, or quit our job to live in the peace of Christ Jesus. The basic choice that must be made is trust, making the decision to take each day as it comes, while trusting God without question. Easier said than done, isn't it? As long as we are fighting with God for control, we will not live in peace. When we embrace Him, giving ourselves up to His care, we open the door to being filled with supernatural hope, joy, and peace.
Living in peace also means choosing to obey Him. If we refuse to conform our thoughts and actions to His commands, the Holy Spirit cannot live in us as promised. When His Presence lifts from us, we feel orphaned and alone. Be careful on this point. Do not make your own perfection the focus of your efforts. That will rob you of peace, too. Instead, seek to stay connected to the Lord, to love Him and listen to the Spirit as He leads you. When He asks you to forgive another, do it! When He prompts you to hold your tongue, do it! When He urges you to put another's interests over your own, do it!
Living in the peace of God will mean that you learn how to order the priorities of your life. We define ourselves by what we do! 21st century Americans are addicted to noise and activity. Our brains are so over-stimulated that we actually grow agitated when things quiet down. We live at full speed for much of each day and even well into the evening. Our TV's blare from the corner of the room. Our cell phones, computers, and Blackberries never cool down. No wonder the peace of God escapes us. The Shepherd's voice, calling us to lie down in green pastures, is obliterated by the noise! Don't tell me that you have no control over this. Certainly there are days when things are hectic, but with discipline and the ability to say, "No" to the good for the sake of the best, we can find a place near the heart of God.
Gel sole inserts won't produce peace. Medication can grant a kind of 'peace,' but it's not the heart-deep, soul transforming, sweet rest promised by Christ. You knew that, and so did I. Disciple, I challenge you to consider your ways and your days. If there is no peace, then something is awry in your relationship with God.
Take this word from the Word as God's Word to you today:
"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." (2 Timothy 2:22, NLT)
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together (at peace!) —spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23, The Message)
_______________________
Far away in the depths
Of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial-like strains
It unceasingly falls
O'er my soul like an infinite calm.
What a treasure I have
In this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
So secure that no power can mine it away
While the years of eternity roll.
Ah soul, are you here
Without comfort or rest,
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your friend
Ere the shadows grow dark.
Oh accept this sweet peace so sublime.
Peace, Peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above.
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love.
Wonderful Peace
Cornell, Warren D. / Cooper, W. George © Public Domain
The Word offers disciples of Jesus Christ a way to live with serenity! Many of Paul's letters open with this greeting: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 1:2, NIV) In another passage we read that "God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13, NLT) Then there is this oft-quoted verse: "The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7, NIV)
With such great and wonderful promises, why do we spend so much time anxious, worried, and at odds with those around us?
Living in the peace of God requires more than sole inserts. At issue is the state of our soul! Buddhism suggests that the road to bliss is the way of detachment. Is the peace of the Christ-follower found in detachment? No! We need not escape to a monastery, move to the mountains of Montana, or quit our job to live in the peace of Christ Jesus. The basic choice that must be made is trust, making the decision to take each day as it comes, while trusting God without question. Easier said than done, isn't it? As long as we are fighting with God for control, we will not live in peace. When we embrace Him, giving ourselves up to His care, we open the door to being filled with supernatural hope, joy, and peace.
Living in peace also means choosing to obey Him. If we refuse to conform our thoughts and actions to His commands, the Holy Spirit cannot live in us as promised. When His Presence lifts from us, we feel orphaned and alone. Be careful on this point. Do not make your own perfection the focus of your efforts. That will rob you of peace, too. Instead, seek to stay connected to the Lord, to love Him and listen to the Spirit as He leads you. When He asks you to forgive another, do it! When He prompts you to hold your tongue, do it! When He urges you to put another's interests over your own, do it!
Living in the peace of God will mean that you learn how to order the priorities of your life. We define ourselves by what we do! 21st century Americans are addicted to noise and activity. Our brains are so over-stimulated that we actually grow agitated when things quiet down. We live at full speed for much of each day and even well into the evening. Our TV's blare from the corner of the room. Our cell phones, computers, and Blackberries never cool down. No wonder the peace of God escapes us. The Shepherd's voice, calling us to lie down in green pastures, is obliterated by the noise! Don't tell me that you have no control over this. Certainly there are days when things are hectic, but with discipline and the ability to say, "No" to the good for the sake of the best, we can find a place near the heart of God.
Gel sole inserts won't produce peace. Medication can grant a kind of 'peace,' but it's not the heart-deep, soul transforming, sweet rest promised by Christ. You knew that, and so did I. Disciple, I challenge you to consider your ways and your days. If there is no peace, then something is awry in your relationship with God.
Take this word from the Word as God's Word to you today:
"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." (2 Timothy 2:22, NLT)
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together (at peace!) —spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23, The Message)
_______________________
Far away in the depths
Of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial-like strains
It unceasingly falls
O'er my soul like an infinite calm.
What a treasure I have
In this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
So secure that no power can mine it away
While the years of eternity roll.
Ah soul, are you here
Without comfort or rest,
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your friend
Ere the shadows grow dark.
Oh accept this sweet peace so sublime.
Peace, Peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above.
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love.
Wonderful Peace
Cornell, Warren D. / Cooper, W. George © Public Domain
Monday, September 01, 2008
The Impact of Storms!
Hurricane Gustav is hours from the Louisiana coast and millions of people's lives have changed course as a result of this storm. The city of New Orleans was evacuated, residents fleeing early fearing of another flood like Katrina. All of that destruction and misery is still a vivid memory. The script of the Republican convention in Minnesota, carefully planned for months, was torn up by winds blowing a thousand miles away. Those politicians decided that the pictures of the glitz of a national convention would be unseemly in juxtaposition with scenes from a hurricane's furious winds in one of America's major cities. Even the President of the United States changed his plans when this storm blew in from the Atlantic this week.
Hurricanes are not the only storms that change plans. A storm blew into my Dad's life in January that changed the course of his life, my Mom's life, my life, and lives of so many more. Plans carefully made were rewritten by rogue cells in his body. So, what storms are blowing into your life, dear friend? It's not a matter of 'if,' but rather 'when!' In a famous parable about foundations, Jesus Christ tells us to build a life house that rests solidly on His Words and wisdom. "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash." (Matthew 7:24-27, NLT) Storms will come at us from time to time that will shake us to the core. "What then," He asks? "Will you come through with your life intact, even though your plans are rewritten?"
There is one thing that allows me to face the storms of life with confidence: God knows the forecast! He is never caught unprepared. He is never reacting to the unexpected. The Psalmist exults in the Omniscience of the Lord saying, "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!" (Psalm 139:1-6, NLT) He concludes with words of wonder: "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God." (Psalm 139:16-17, NLT)
Disciple, know this: those who serve the Lord go through storms. Saints are not exempt from hurricanes, cancer, or national recessions! But, we go through them with quiet confidence in the One who knew the storm's approach. So, build your life on the solid foundation of His loving wisdom. Obey Him today.
When the wind blows furiously through your life, you will be secure in the one fact that nothing can change: the enduring love of God and His promise to bring you to His eternal home! Hallelujah!
_______________
" Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."
Romans 11:33-36, NIV
Hurricanes are not the only storms that change plans. A storm blew into my Dad's life in January that changed the course of his life, my Mom's life, my life, and lives of so many more. Plans carefully made were rewritten by rogue cells in his body. So, what storms are blowing into your life, dear friend? It's not a matter of 'if,' but rather 'when!' In a famous parable about foundations, Jesus Christ tells us to build a life house that rests solidly on His Words and wisdom. "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash." (Matthew 7:24-27, NLT) Storms will come at us from time to time that will shake us to the core. "What then," He asks? "Will you come through with your life intact, even though your plans are rewritten?"
There is one thing that allows me to face the storms of life with confidence: God knows the forecast! He is never caught unprepared. He is never reacting to the unexpected. The Psalmist exults in the Omniscience of the Lord saying, "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!" (Psalm 139:1-6, NLT) He concludes with words of wonder: "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God." (Psalm 139:16-17, NLT)
Disciple, know this: those who serve the Lord go through storms. Saints are not exempt from hurricanes, cancer, or national recessions! But, we go through them with quiet confidence in the One who knew the storm's approach. So, build your life on the solid foundation of His loving wisdom. Obey Him today.
When the wind blows furiously through your life, you will be secure in the one fact that nothing can change: the enduring love of God and His promise to bring you to His eternal home! Hallelujah!
_______________
" Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."
Romans 11:33-36, NIV
Friday, August 29, 2008
Relax INTO His will!
"God has a wonderful plan for your life!" Bill Bright, the late founder of Campus Crusade and gifted evangelist, made that line famous. Comedians love to mock it. Believers sometimes doubt it. But, it is true. We were made for the purpose of serving God and we find our greatest satisfaction when we live in the center of the will of God. Perhaps your thought is - "Jerry, I believe that, but how do I KNOW what His plan is?" It is one of the most common questions I am asked!
The first step to living in the center of God's will is surrender; not apathy, not desperate resignation, but actively presenting our will and intentions to God. A self-willed Christian cannot do God's will. If a Believer is rejecting the clear Word in some area of his life, his spiritual sensitivity will be so dulled that he will not see or hear the guiding voice and hand of God's Holy Spirit. Assuming that a person has dealt with self-will and/or sin, not by achieving perfection, but with humility and repentance, what then?
RELAX! The Word expresses the confidence that is ours if we are walking in the Spirit. "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (Philippians 1:6, The Message) Impatience is the great enemy of God's work and will in our lives. God has planted the seed of His will in us and it is germinating. We can care for it by prayer, by meditation, by worship, and by Scripture intake. But we cannot make it grow. Imagine planting a row of beans and then each morning digging them up to see if they were growing! You would not harvest many beans from that garden, would you? Even when it seems like life is going backwards for you, when there is no discernable path in front of you, walk on; in faith.
God is at work, 'finishing in you what He has started.' David's life story is an example. He was called to be God's anointed king while still a young teenager in his father's household. A short while after his encounter with the prophet, Samuel, he went off to take supplies to his brothers who were at war. There he was deeply offended by the faithlessness of the Israeli army. Stirred by the Spirit, he took on the giant, Goliath, killing him on the field of battle with a simple shepherd's sling. King Saul summonsed David to the royal court. Looks like the young farm boy just got his big break, doesn't it? It wasn't! For the next two decades, David was a fugitive, running from the insane jealousy of Saul.
So, was he, David that is, in the will of God? Every indication in the Bible is that he was! Finally, Saul was killed in battle and David took the throne. Even then, several years passed before he consolidated his power and moved forward to lead the nation to greatness for the glory of his God.Did David like waiting through the hard times? I don't think so. During that time, he wrote Psalm 57, where you can sense his questioning of his pathway, even as he bravely declares his faith in God.
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection.I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past.I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose forme. He will send help from heaven to save me, rescuing me from those who are out to get me.
...My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. Theyhave dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen intoit. My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises!" (Psalm 57, NLT)
God is with you today! Present yourself to Him. He is working out His plans and purposes in your life. Stay steady. Keep on doing the right things even when nothing is making sense. And this is the promise you can take with you:
To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
You rescue those who are humble, but you humiliate the proud.
Lord, you have brought light to my life;
my God, you light up my darkness.
In your strength I can crush an army;with my God I can scale any wall.
As for God, his way is perfect.
All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. -- Psalm 18:25-30 NLT
_____________________
My stubborn will at last hath yielded;
I would be Thine, and Thine alone;
And this the prayer my lips are bringing,
"Lord, let in me Thy will be done."
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee;
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee.
Sweet Will Of God- Morris, Lelia N. © 1968 Lillenas Publishing Company
(Admin. by The Copyright Company) CCLI License No. 810055
The first step to living in the center of God's will is surrender; not apathy, not desperate resignation, but actively presenting our will and intentions to God. A self-willed Christian cannot do God's will. If a Believer is rejecting the clear Word in some area of his life, his spiritual sensitivity will be so dulled that he will not see or hear the guiding voice and hand of God's Holy Spirit. Assuming that a person has dealt with self-will and/or sin, not by achieving perfection, but with humility and repentance, what then?
RELAX! The Word expresses the confidence that is ours if we are walking in the Spirit. "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (Philippians 1:6, The Message) Impatience is the great enemy of God's work and will in our lives. God has planted the seed of His will in us and it is germinating. We can care for it by prayer, by meditation, by worship, and by Scripture intake. But we cannot make it grow. Imagine planting a row of beans and then each morning digging them up to see if they were growing! You would not harvest many beans from that garden, would you? Even when it seems like life is going backwards for you, when there is no discernable path in front of you, walk on; in faith.
God is at work, 'finishing in you what He has started.' David's life story is an example. He was called to be God's anointed king while still a young teenager in his father's household. A short while after his encounter with the prophet, Samuel, he went off to take supplies to his brothers who were at war. There he was deeply offended by the faithlessness of the Israeli army. Stirred by the Spirit, he took on the giant, Goliath, killing him on the field of battle with a simple shepherd's sling. King Saul summonsed David to the royal court. Looks like the young farm boy just got his big break, doesn't it? It wasn't! For the next two decades, David was a fugitive, running from the insane jealousy of Saul.
So, was he, David that is, in the will of God? Every indication in the Bible is that he was! Finally, Saul was killed in battle and David took the throne. Even then, several years passed before he consolidated his power and moved forward to lead the nation to greatness for the glory of his God.Did David like waiting through the hard times? I don't think so. During that time, he wrote Psalm 57, where you can sense his questioning of his pathway, even as he bravely declares his faith in God.
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection.I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past.I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose forme. He will send help from heaven to save me, rescuing me from those who are out to get me.
...My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. Theyhave dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen intoit. My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises!" (Psalm 57, NLT)
God is with you today! Present yourself to Him. He is working out His plans and purposes in your life. Stay steady. Keep on doing the right things even when nothing is making sense. And this is the promise you can take with you:
To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
You rescue those who are humble, but you humiliate the proud.
Lord, you have brought light to my life;
my God, you light up my darkness.
In your strength I can crush an army;with my God I can scale any wall.
As for God, his way is perfect.
All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. -- Psalm 18:25-30 NLT
_____________________
My stubborn will at last hath yielded;
I would be Thine, and Thine alone;
And this the prayer my lips are bringing,
"Lord, let in me Thy will be done."
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee;
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee.
Sweet Will Of God- Morris, Lelia N. © 1968 Lillenas Publishing Company
(Admin. by The Copyright Company) CCLI License No. 810055
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Am I doing enough?
When evaluating my life, the usual measure I use is performance; hours worked, numbers of people contacted, calls made. When the church's statistics in giving and attendance are trending up I rest more easily that I have done well in my work. The need to achieve often drives me to stay on task even at the expense of spending quality time with those I love. In recent months, the necessity of pulling away from my pastoral work for days at a time to travel to Pennsylvania and care for my critically ill Dad even causes me to feel false guilt, to worry about "doing enough real work." Whether my need to do more, to work harder, comes from training or from my personality, I cannot say, but I do know that I am strongly performance oriented. I tend to admire a hard-driving entrepreneur far more than a creative artist, to value producing measurable results more than time to appreciate the beauty around me.
God's Word commends diligence. I believe a strong work ethic is taught consistently in both the Old and New Testaments. Proverbs reminds us that "Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!" (Proverbs 14:23, NLT) As Christians, we told that each one is to "settle down and work to earn their own living." (2 Thessalonians 3:12, NLT) The object of our work is not just to build a bigger store of stuff, either. "Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work." (Ephesians 4:28, The Message)
But, as with all of God's good gifts, sin has corrupted our understanding of the meaning and purpose of our work. God commands us to work so that we are able to provide for our needs, so we know the joy of sharing in His creativity and work to impose order on chaos. If we begin to worship our work, if we make an idol of success and turn the work of our hands into the measure of our worth as a person, we will quickly turn into a malformed person, the caricature of this being the lonely executive who can lead a vast company to profitability while his wife lives a lonely life of neglect and his children grow up with a stranger who isn't even present when he is home.
In His amazing goodness, God knew that the drive to work needed a counterpart, so He gave us the gift of rest! In the Old Testament, the people of God were commanded to cease from all their labors one day of the week. The Sabbath commandment was rigorous and forbade practically all work. Most Christians through the history of the Church have continued the practice of setting aside commerce for the Lord's Day, making the day a special time to worship. The discipline of "Sabbath" rest is being lost to us in this age where it is possible for many of us to work at home, to remain 'on the job' even when we are away from our office or workshop. The Lord wants us to understand that we are more than what we do, our value derives from our 'being' as much as our 'doing.' So, invite the Spirit to aid you in the application of the 'Sabbathing principle' to your life. Make it happen!
Nurture the soul. Practice the discipline of rest and worship. Make time to focus on the people around you. Put to death the lie that you can be your own god, that you can exert god-like control over your life, your world, your situation. Rehearse the promise of God's provision - "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, NIV) and from that promise put this command into practice in your life- "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7, NLT) When work and worship, diligence and rest, are properly balanced in the disciple's life, then he will experience what Jesus said was the birthright of every disciple - "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, KJV)
God's Word commends diligence. I believe a strong work ethic is taught consistently in both the Old and New Testaments. Proverbs reminds us that "Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!" (Proverbs 14:23, NLT) As Christians, we told that each one is to "settle down and work to earn their own living." (2 Thessalonians 3:12, NLT) The object of our work is not just to build a bigger store of stuff, either. "Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work." (Ephesians 4:28, The Message)
But, as with all of God's good gifts, sin has corrupted our understanding of the meaning and purpose of our work. God commands us to work so that we are able to provide for our needs, so we know the joy of sharing in His creativity and work to impose order on chaos. If we begin to worship our work, if we make an idol of success and turn the work of our hands into the measure of our worth as a person, we will quickly turn into a malformed person, the caricature of this being the lonely executive who can lead a vast company to profitability while his wife lives a lonely life of neglect and his children grow up with a stranger who isn't even present when he is home.
In His amazing goodness, God knew that the drive to work needed a counterpart, so He gave us the gift of rest! In the Old Testament, the people of God were commanded to cease from all their labors one day of the week. The Sabbath commandment was rigorous and forbade practically all work. Most Christians through the history of the Church have continued the practice of setting aside commerce for the Lord's Day, making the day a special time to worship. The discipline of "Sabbath" rest is being lost to us in this age where it is possible for many of us to work at home, to remain 'on the job' even when we are away from our office or workshop. The Lord wants us to understand that we are more than what we do, our value derives from our 'being' as much as our 'doing.' So, invite the Spirit to aid you in the application of the 'Sabbathing principle' to your life. Make it happen!
Nurture the soul. Practice the discipline of rest and worship. Make time to focus on the people around you. Put to death the lie that you can be your own god, that you can exert god-like control over your life, your world, your situation. Rehearse the promise of God's provision - "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, NIV) and from that promise put this command into practice in your life- "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7, NLT) When work and worship, diligence and rest, are properly balanced in the disciple's life, then he will experience what Jesus said was the birthright of every disciple - "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, KJV)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Gim'me More!
In worship, we sing a song written by Chris Tomlin that says, "All of You, is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need; You satisfy me with Your love, and all I have in You, is more than enough!" Around 3 am today, while I was watching my Dad wrestle with his illness and weakness, trying to make sense of the cancer that has taken away most everything in his life, those words came to me - I believe from the Spirit. Accompanying the song was a question: is He really enough for you, Jerry, should you find yourself in a situation similar to your Dad? It made me ponder my daily walk with the Lord. Am I nurturing my love for Him in ways that, if everything I cherish were taken from me, I would still have enough in Christ Jesus to be satisfied deeply and fully?
The Word tells us that in Christ Jesus, His disciples find complete sufficiency! "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, KJV) Another way to say it is that we have been given all the resources to do whatever He asks us to do!
The Word tells us that in Christ Jesus, His disciples find complete sufficiency! "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, KJV) Another way to say it is that we have been given all the resources to do whatever He asks us to do!
- Do you struggle with some temptation? In Christ, you are empowered to overcome it.
- Are you fighting fear of the future? Christ is bigger than tomorrow and is already preparing you to meet its challenges.
- Are you dealing with debilitating illness like my Dad? In Christ, there is strength to face the daily loss with faith! And, so goes the list. He is more than Enough for everything - IF we are willing to radically put our trust and hope in Him.
Too often, I am more likely to mourn what I believe I lack that I am to celebrate the sufficiency of Christ's provisions. God forgive me. I fall into the same sin as Israel who, in middle of living on God's Heavenly manna, whined for the food of Egypt, which they remembered having 'at no cost.' What foolishness. They were slaves who ate "cucumbers, melons, leeks, and garlic" (Numbers 11.5) at the cost of their lives and freedom.
The requirements for knowing that He is enough are faith and submission. James says that in the middle of our trials, we need to ask God for what we need. "You do not have, because you do not ask God." (James 4:2, NIV) Read that with understanding! Part of what he is saying is that we will experience God's provision when we want only what God wants, when our desires are aligned to His. If we want things of this world, we have no assurance that God will give them to us just because we request them of Him. And how do we become submitted to Him? He does not subdue us! He invites us to love Him so deeply that we gladly give ourselves to Him - without reservation.
Our submission to Christ Jesus, the Bible teaches, is modeled on the submission of the godly wife to her husband. Her submission does not come from his dominance, or because she is intimidated. He loves her with a selfless love, serving her needs over his own, deepening her trust to the point that she joyfully trusts his servant leadership of the household. Christ Jesus loves us in that way. He has given Himself for us, to the extent of setting aside all his Divine prerogatives to become our Servant. The demonstration of this love should cause us to abandon ourselves to Him.
Here is a declaration of His sufficiency. Read it with joyful thanksgiving, regardless of your need right now. Remember, these are words of life, not mere slogans.
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:14-19, NLT)
____________________
You are my supply; My breath of life,
And still more awesome than I know.
You are my reward worth living for,
And still more awesome than I know.
You’re my sacrifice,Of greatest price,
And still more awesome than I know.
You’re the coming King,
You are everything,
And still more awesome than I know.
All of You, is more than enough for all of me,
For every thirst and every need,
You satisfy me with Your love,
And all I have in You is more than enough!
More than all I want!
More than all I need!
You are more than enough for me!
More than all I know!
More than all I can say!
You are more than enough for me!
Chris Tomlin
2004- copyright Worship Together Music
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Your Wisdom, my rock
I plan to replace the radiator in my Miata this week. Jerry, with a few tools in hand, can be a frightening idea. More than once my optimism has exceeded my expertise! A Miata owner's website tells me that even a person with moderate mechanical ability can do it, so I'm going to give it a try. However, I am not playing the fool on this project. Before I ordered the new part, I contacted a friend and asked him if he would be on stand-by should I need him to bring his knowledge to my rescue. He gladly offered to be my guide. I believe I can do this small job because I have a source, a person to whom I can turn, if I need him. Only a fool thinks himself above the need for counsel and guidance.
Most Christians would be quick to affirm that Jesus Christ is the source of Wisdom for their lives. But what exactly does that mean? Do they respect His brilliance and readily conform themselves to what He says? Dallas Willard makes this stinging observation: "Far too often, He is taken as a mere icon, a wraithlike semblance of a man living on the margin of 'real' life where you and I must dwell. He is perhaps fit for the role of sacrificial lamb or alienated social critic, but little more." - The Great Omission, Harper, 2006 The Scripture asserts that He is the One "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments." (Colossians 2:3-4, NIV)
Here are a few examples of His wisdom.
Jesus tells us to forgive those who offend us. Do we see that as impractical advice like that of our Grandma, or as the wisdom of history's smartest Man? Jesus knows that if we refuse to forgive we pile up relational debts that create all kinds of spiritual, emotional, and even physical problems. His insight into the way we are made causes Him to know that forgiveness is best. So, will we do it?
Jesus tells us not to divorce our spouse except for the most egregious sins against us. Do we trust that wisdom as best for all people of all time or do we privately think that His words belong to another time, that they will surely keep us from happiness in this life?
Jesus counsels disciples to avoid trusting in accumulations of wealth on earth as security. He says that we ought to store our wealth in Heaven by investing ourselves in the Kingdom of God. Do we trust that wisdom and put Kingdom issues first or do we discard His wisdom as impractical for this materialistic age?
Is His promise just the idle boast or is it the cornerstone of life to the full? "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV) He reminds us that none of us can give ourselves to two masters. We can only serve one. To attempt to serve two, means we serve neither.
To trust His wisdom as the guide for life is a faith decision. What He teaches us does not always lead to an immediate benefit, nor is His way necessarily the way of comfort or even 'common sense.' But, His words are life and are worthy of ultimate respect and total obedience. "In him was life, and that life was the light of men.. . . From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." (John 1:4,16, NIV)
__________________________
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay.
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say.
Word of God speak!
Would You pour down like rain,
Washing my eyes to see,
Your majesty?
To be still and know,
That You're in this place?
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness,
Word of God speak!
I'm finding myself in the midst of You,
Beyond the music, beyond the noise,
All that I need is to be with You,
And in the quiet hear Your voice.
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is, it's okay.
- Copyright, MercyMe
Most Christians would be quick to affirm that Jesus Christ is the source of Wisdom for their lives. But what exactly does that mean? Do they respect His brilliance and readily conform themselves to what He says? Dallas Willard makes this stinging observation: "Far too often, He is taken as a mere icon, a wraithlike semblance of a man living on the margin of 'real' life where you and I must dwell. He is perhaps fit for the role of sacrificial lamb or alienated social critic, but little more." - The Great Omission, Harper, 2006 The Scripture asserts that He is the One "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments." (Colossians 2:3-4, NIV)
Here are a few examples of His wisdom.
Jesus tells us to forgive those who offend us. Do we see that as impractical advice like that of our Grandma, or as the wisdom of history's smartest Man? Jesus knows that if we refuse to forgive we pile up relational debts that create all kinds of spiritual, emotional, and even physical problems. His insight into the way we are made causes Him to know that forgiveness is best. So, will we do it?
Jesus tells us not to divorce our spouse except for the most egregious sins against us. Do we trust that wisdom as best for all people of all time or do we privately think that His words belong to another time, that they will surely keep us from happiness in this life?
Jesus counsels disciples to avoid trusting in accumulations of wealth on earth as security. He says that we ought to store our wealth in Heaven by investing ourselves in the Kingdom of God. Do we trust that wisdom and put Kingdom issues first or do we discard His wisdom as impractical for this materialistic age?
Is His promise just the idle boast or is it the cornerstone of life to the full? "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV) He reminds us that none of us can give ourselves to two masters. We can only serve one. To attempt to serve two, means we serve neither.
To trust His wisdom as the guide for life is a faith decision. What He teaches us does not always lead to an immediate benefit, nor is His way necessarily the way of comfort or even 'common sense.' But, His words are life and are worthy of ultimate respect and total obedience. "In him was life, and that life was the light of men.. . . From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." (John 1:4,16, NIV)
__________________________
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay.
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say.
Word of God speak!
Would You pour down like rain,
Washing my eyes to see,
Your majesty?
To be still and know,
That You're in this place?
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness,
Word of God speak!
I'm finding myself in the midst of You,
Beyond the music, beyond the noise,
All that I need is to be with You,
And in the quiet hear Your voice.
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is, it's okay.
- Copyright, MercyMe
Monday, August 25, 2008
Offer up praise!
My heart is not inclined to sing this morning! Yesterday, a call came from a friend's widow, telling me that Phil had died suddenly on Saturday evening from heart failure. He was my age, a father, a man who passionately loved God. It was just one more disappointment. As I talked with the Lord today, I was complaining and whining about all the problems that appear to be piling up all around. I was telling Him how unprepared I feel that I am for the work of ministry in the weeks ahead. I was completely focused on what I perceive to be lacking in my life right now, when I heard the Spirit urge me to choose to praise with the words of an old song. It was popular in my youth and in part says: "Praise the Lord, He can work through who praise Him; praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise. Praise the Lord, for the chains that seems to bind you, serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you, when you praise Him!" (Brown Bannister, 1978, Word Music)
Obediently, but not with much enthusiasm, I began to thank Him for His loving grace, for the opportunities of ministry, for meeting me during corporate worship yesterday, for the friends He has given to me, for my wife and the family that I treasure, ... and gradually my point of view is shifting from gloom to hope, from feeling desperate to sensing a greater Power working in me! Such is the power of obedient praise.
There is a story in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in which we learn the lesson of praise. Paul and his ministry partner, Silas, went to Philippi to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the course of doing what God wanted them to do, they ended up falsely accused, beaten, and jailed. The natural response would be discouragement and complaint, right? Well, read this account about what they did!
"One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her. She started following Paul around, calling everyone’s attention to us by yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They’re laying out the road of salvation for you!" She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!" And it was gone, just like that. When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square.
Then the police arrested them and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace—dangerous Jewish agitators subverting our Roman law and order." By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood. The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas’s clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating. After beating them black-and-blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape. He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them. Along about midnight,
Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose." (Acts 16:16-26, The Message) The rest of the story is also great. The jailer committed his life to Jesus that night, along with his entire family. Such is the power of praise in the middle of misery!
Be careful of empty praise, just mouthing phrases like "Thank you, Jesus," that you do not really believe! Be careful of saying things to others that come off as insincere. I am still working through my sorrow about Phil's death, so I cannot honestly praise God for any good I see in that- yet! Time will come, if I wait on Him, when I will be able to give thanks. Right now, however, I can sincerely praise God for Phil's testimony, his earnest faith, and his desire to honor Christ.
Here's a word from the Word. Take a few moments and read it more than once. Then obediently begin to praise. Darkness will be broken by the rays of Light that break through as the Spirit comes to you.
"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100, NKJV)
__________________________
Come, Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
Come Thou Fount
© Public Domain
Obediently, but not with much enthusiasm, I began to thank Him for His loving grace, for the opportunities of ministry, for meeting me during corporate worship yesterday, for the friends He has given to me, for my wife and the family that I treasure, ... and gradually my point of view is shifting from gloom to hope, from feeling desperate to sensing a greater Power working in me! Such is the power of obedient praise.
There is a story in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in which we learn the lesson of praise. Paul and his ministry partner, Silas, went to Philippi to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the course of doing what God wanted them to do, they ended up falsely accused, beaten, and jailed. The natural response would be discouragement and complaint, right? Well, read this account about what they did!
"One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her. She started following Paul around, calling everyone’s attention to us by yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They’re laying out the road of salvation for you!" She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!" And it was gone, just like that. When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square.
Then the police arrested them and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace—dangerous Jewish agitators subverting our Roman law and order." By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood. The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas’s clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating. After beating them black-and-blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape. He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them. Along about midnight,
Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose." (Acts 16:16-26, The Message) The rest of the story is also great. The jailer committed his life to Jesus that night, along with his entire family. Such is the power of praise in the middle of misery!
Be careful of empty praise, just mouthing phrases like "Thank you, Jesus," that you do not really believe! Be careful of saying things to others that come off as insincere. I am still working through my sorrow about Phil's death, so I cannot honestly praise God for any good I see in that- yet! Time will come, if I wait on Him, when I will be able to give thanks. Right now, however, I can sincerely praise God for Phil's testimony, his earnest faith, and his desire to honor Christ.
Here's a word from the Word. Take a few moments and read it more than once. Then obediently begin to praise. Darkness will be broken by the rays of Light that break through as the Spirit comes to you.
"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100, NKJV)
__________________________
Come, Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
Come Thou Fount
© Public Domain
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