Has life eclipsed your faith?

I stared at the miniature roses in the bay window for a few moments this morning, captivated by the simple beauty of those deep red flowers.  While wordlessly thanking God for them, I sipped my coffee, and felt grateful for the abundance I enjoy. There is no war outside of my door that could destroy my home, no threat of famine or want. I woke up in a comfortable bed. There will be interactions with friends today when I go to an office where I am privileged to do work that I love.  But, these are not my greatest blessings! 

Paul points to the Christian’s reason for joy and it is not in their pleasant circumstances. I returned to meditate on a text I had read on Monday, one rich in meaning -  "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:4-9, NIV)  

Rejoice in the Lord! Joy is a possibility every day, for all Christians, regardless of the details of life. Some days we will be overwhelmingly aware of our abundance, as I am this morning, and grateful worship will flow easily. The reality of life reminds us that seasons will come when the sky darkens and joy will be a choice of faith.  Let me ask you – do you see life through the lens of faith or do you see faith through the lens of life?  

I briefly conversed with an older man on Tuesday who saw the cross I always wear and the church logo stitched on my shirt. “You follow Jesus?” he asked.  “I am a Christian” I said expecting him to affirm that he was, too. But, a shadow crossed his face and he told me that he had given up his faith years before. He was raised in church and by his own profession once had loved God, but in a time of hardship, this man had turned his back on a relationship with God.  He was not being humorous as he told me “I believe in my beer and I drink too much of it, I guess.”  He asked me, wistfully, if I believed in that verse (Proverbs 22:6)  that says “raise a child in the right way and when he is old he won’t depart from it.”  I assured him that God was waiting for him to come home.

This man had chosen to look at life first and his troubles eclipsed faith. Will  you, will I, make a different choice when difficulties come?  Will we put faith first, and hold onto the declaration that God loves us, that eternal life is promised to us, and that He never forgets us – in spite of what our circumstances may seem to argue?  Will we ‘rejoice in the Lord!’?

Today we have a decision to make – to live in faith and to order our thoughts around the truth of God’s eternal faithful!  Paul says if we do this, “the God of peace will be with us.”

Here is a word from the Word. Learn it, live it.
"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." (Hebrews 11:1, 6 The Message)

___________

Reckless Love

(worship with this song about His love)

Before I spoke a word
You were singing over me

You have been so so good to me

Before I took a breath
You breathed Your life in me

You have been so so kind to me

O the overwhelming never-ending reckless

Love of God

O it chases me down fights 'til I'm found

Leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn't earn it I don't deserve

Still You give Yourself away

O the overwhelming never-ending reckless

Love of God

When I was Your foe still Your love fought for me

You have been so so good to me

When I felt no worth You paid it all for me

You have been so so kind to me

There's no shadow You won't light up

Mountain You won't climb up

Coming after me

There's no wall You won't kick down

Lie You won't tear down

Coming after me

Caleb Culver | Cory Asbury | Ran Jackson

© Watershed Publishing Group (Admin. by Watershed Music Group)

Bethel Music Publishing

Richmond Park Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

Implications of worshiping the belly god

Our country is in turmoil about immigration. Who should be allowed to enter these United States? What should we do with those who are here without going through the legal processes?  It’s a thorny problem created by a desperation that grows out of poverty and political turmoil that drives thousands to risk everything for a chance of a better life in this nation. The tragedy at our southern border is compounded by fear fanned by words that I believe are primarily spoken for political advantage on both sides of conversation. There are no solutions that will satisfy every desire, that can allow every person to feel good about what happens at those borders. I pray for compassion and justice to meet as our nation wrestles with this issue!   As for me, when I travel outside of the United States, I know I can go home, that I will be welcomed at our border, because I have a passport that declares that I am a citizen of the United States.

I also have another passport, granted to me freely by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ.  As a citizen of the United States I enjoy protection of my rights under the law which creates an expectation that, as a citizen, I will pay my taxes, be loyal to my government, and live within the law of the land.  The same is true of my heavenly citizenship.  Here is how Paul speaks to that.  "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:18-21, NIV)

Some who claim to be Christians in reality are very much ‘at home’ in this world.  The Word speaks strongly about their way of life.  The governing authority of their lives is not Jesus Christ. Paul says they worship their ‘stomach.’ In other words, they lack any real desire for spiritual things, preferring instead to feed the appetites of the body without restraint. They do so with such intensity that they worship their food, their sex, their pleasure like a god! In the Old Testament record of the people of the Lord, we see many instances where they turned to worship idols, lesser gods. That choice was always accompanied by a descent into debauched, sinful lives!  When a person makes appetites into a god, the Word says that they will ‘glory in their shame.’  They begin to brag about their pleasures, their conquests, the things for which they should feel shame becoming that which they celebrate instead of praising God.

But … true heavenly citizens are attuned to Heaven, guided by hope, living fully under the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ!  What results is a ‘transformed life’ which will ultimately lead to a total change from a dying temporal body to an eternal glorious one!  Those who love the stomach god will be destroyed by their ‘worship.’ Those who love Christ Jesus will find an amazing eternal life that is beyond our human imagination.  So, what are the implication of this fact?

Paul says "Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!" (Philippians 4:1, NIV)  Our heavenly passport creates an expectation of life from which we gain the ability to ‘stand firm,’ committed completely to our Lord and Savior.

Let’s live as citizens of Heaven, even now, in this ‘foreign land’ of the present world. Here is a word from the Word – with promise and challenge.

"For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians 2:18-22, NIV)

______________

Abba, I am often tempted to love the ‘stomach god,’

to worship Self and Pleasure, rather than loving Jesus.

By the power of the Spirit, give me the ability to grasp

Heaven’s beauty, to be shaped by the hope of that Kingdom.

Fill my life- right here, right now- with Eternity.

May I celebrate Your goodness and grace,

overflowing with love, being light in the dark,

knowing the amazing assurance that comes from knowing

I have a Home awaiting me.

In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

A Life that Dishonors Jesus

“Can you believe … She is just so … I can hardly stand it … I am ready to kill somebody … “ and so the conversation went, from negative to complaint, gripe to accusation. I do not know if the things being said were true or not, but they were sure a sad commentary on the state of the heart of the two Christians deep into their gripe session.  Have I complained? Yes, I have. Have I griped when it was too hot, too cold, too loud, too soft, too early, too late … ?  Yes, God forgive me!  Constant complaining reveals a person consumed with Self who is unwilling to flex and adjust, to honor the Lord with the choice for JOY.

I had to deal with the irresponsible behavior of another and there was not a thing I could do about it. I felt the irritation grow and I growled in anger, “Why me, Lord? Why do You allow me to live with this all the time?”  The Spirit’s response in my soul was a question – “Will you honor Me or yourself today? It’s not about you, you know.”  I wryly smiled at His patience with me, and with a sigh, asked “How many times Lord have you had to love me through seasons when I was not the person you desire me to be?”   I settled into the circumstances and trusted Him, again!  I found joy when I ‘let it go.’

Paul says this, and it is a command, not a suggestion -  "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:4-9, NIV)

On this Monday morning, God offers a better way than griping our way through the day!  Let’s take apart His word to us.

First up, determine where you will go to find joy.  Will you look for it in success, in a meal of fine food, or through escape?  The Word tells us to celebrate our relationship with the Lord!  Remind yourself, “I am God’s kid! He’s a good God.”  Look up, past the problems, beyond the disappointment, higher – and sing a song that extols the wonder of our God.

Second, tame that urge to take control.  “Be gentle,” the Bible says.  Another version tells us to be “moderate.”  Conventional wisdom is that we need to ‘kick butts, power up, and make things happen’ when faced with challenges.  I travel that road too often, trying to force solutions, get action, find compliance.  But, when that is my choice, Jesus is dishonored.  Sure, I can get things, but at what cost to others and to His kingdom?

Third, let prayer take over for worry.  The concerns that can cause me tension are real;  change in the organization I lead, a teenager in my house that challenges me at every turn, financial needs of the church, etc.  God knows it all and still does not give you or me permission to gripe, complain, or settle into anger. Instead, He invites ‘present your requests.’ He promises that if we will pray He will  steady our minds and hearts with a gift of peace that guards us from the fear that will rob us of rest.

Fourth, be positive.  Yes, the Holy Spirit tells us to choose to expect better things, to look for the best, and to seek out the excellent.  Does this mean we cannot be honest in our evaluations? Not at all.  Are we forbidden from speaking truthfully about gaps and flaws? No.   Even then, we can destroy or build. We can help or hinder. We can encourage shared success.

Admit it. Life has troubles!  If you believe that the only way to know joy is to find perfection, you are destined for frustration. We live in a world where sin and evil oppose the good of God, all the time.  Sickness, heartbreak, disappointment comes. Temptation will roar from the shadows of your mind. Satan will prowl on the perimeter, looking for an opening to attack.  But, in Him we are ‘more than conquerors.’  There is joy to be found, but not in a gripe session where we rehearse all our troubles.  Joy is found in radical faith, in trust that helps us to ‘let it go.’

Before you head off today, re-read Paul’s letter, this time in modern language.  Then, humbly, prayerfully, ask the Lord for power to live it, so that your thoughts, words, and actions will HONOR HIM with joy.

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." (Philippians 4:4-9, The Message)

__________

10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

Bless the Lord O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

You're rich in love and You're slow to anger

Your name is great and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Worship Your holy name

Lord I'll worship Your holy name

Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman

© 2011 Atlas Mountain Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055