Stale bread and flat soda

I like those artisan breads, made locally, without the preservatives found in packaged breads. There is one problem, however. If I do not use the loaf within a couple of days of purchase, the bread goes stale, the flavor lost. I also enjoy a nice cold glass a raspberry-lime seltzer as long as it hasn’t had time to go flat, losing the carbonation that gives it that unique appeal.

Did you know that our Christianity can lose the edge, get stale? Peter wrote to us to encourage maturity in the daily practices of our faith- “complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love.”  And, he then goes on to say, "But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have." (2 Peter 1:9-12, NIV)

What does a stale faith look like? 

It is mumbled prayers, without heart, without faith. It is dutiful service lacking in fervor. It is an unread, dusty Bible or, at best, a few minutes spent in familiar Psalms. It is apathetic about the condition of the world that does not know the hope of Jesus. It is loveless, joyless, and lukewarm. The Bible warns of ‘deadly drift’  in life, when the pressing issues of each day carry a person away from the fellowship of the Spirit, with a growing chill in the soul. It is quite possible to wake up and find that the things of God just don’t matter anymore, the faith that once burned brightly in the heart, cooled to an ember, only to die completely!  Paul reminded Timothy, the younger pastor in a struggle in his church, to remember the calling, the faith, he had found and to take care of it. "Fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you." (2 Timothy 1:6, NLT)

We know how important daily habits are to our health, don’t we? At my most recent physical exam, the doctor looked me over and wryly asked, “So, are you taking care of your body, God’s temple?” She pointed out the neglect of exercise, the extra pounds round my waist, and the rising blood pressure that were evidence of my need to change some of my ways. I know full well that I should walk each day, that I should eat a better diet, but I choose to push those choices of to tomorrow with gradual consequence to my good health.

Similarly, there are choices to be made for spiritual vitality. They are not usually all that difficult nor do they require horrendous sacrifices. Keeping faith fresh asks you and me to make some priority choices.

• On Sunday morning, set the alarm and go connect with God and His family in worship.
• Instead of watching another TV program, spend some time with a prayer journal, the Bible, and the Spirit.
• Read something soul nourishing.
• Choose a playlist that helps you to know God’s presence.
• Forgive and strengthen ties instead of hanging onto resentments.
• Find a place to give yourself away on a regular basis, doing something for others in Jesus’ name where there is no immediate benefit to you.  
• Make every effort to balance work and worship!

These are the kinds of habits that draw us back to the renewal of our faith, that ‘make our calling and election sure.’

One last thought today …  don’t confuse ‘exciting’ with ‘fresh.’  A fresh faith does not require novelty or entertainment. A common mistake of the modern church is to replace the Presence of the Spirit with things that excite us. Bright lights, loud music, faster songs, and sermons designed to tug at emotions instead of transforming us into Christ’s likeness.  A few tears replace repentance. But let’s remember -  vital faith is not novel faith; it is God-focused, eternal, hopeful, and holy.

Here is a word from the Word. Lord, help us to do those things that allow You to work in us and through us to become holy people that shine Your Light brightly into our dark work, passionately living out the faith.

“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!" (Revelation 3:18-21, The Message)

___________

Spirit of the living God,

Fall fresh on me.

Melt me, mold me,

Use me, fill me.

• copied

Just grow up!

Bev, my late wife, was not much given to silliness and when I would joke in a manner which she found childish, when she had enough of it, I would hear – “Jerry, just grow up!”  A few days ago, while I was playing with some children at church, using my smartphone to create silly faces with filters on SnapChat, I could have almost sworn I heard an echo in my head of her voice – “Jerry, grow up!” There is a time to play like a child and there is a time to get serious and ‘grow up.’ 

God’s desire is maturity so that our faith in Christ Jesus will produce real and lasting change – in us and in the world in which we live. "So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone." (2 Peter 1:5-7, NLT)

When we trust Jesus as our Savior, leaning completely on His grace, our sins are forgiven. That is the Gospel! We do not save ourselves for if we could then, as Paul says, we would have reason to boast.  Jesus saves us completely. There is a completion to His work at the Cross in our lives that demands our participation. The death and resurrection of Jesus transform us. Peter says that "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:4, NIV)  It’s time to ‘grow up.’  We need not remain spiritually childish, incapable of sustaining commitment, without the ability to discern between right and wrong, captive of every whim.  The life of the Spirit will make us "productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:8, NLT)

There is the choice to live for moral excellence. We desire the life of Christ, the purity of heart that is found in Him. We refuse to demean others, to gossip, to lust, to remain greedy, to measure our success by the things we own or the clothes we wear.  That choice is supported by becoming an intimate friend of God.  Prayer is a daily choice.  We meditate in Scriptural truth. We worship 7 days a week, not just one!

From that inner transformation comes self-control. We no longer allow ourselves to be held in the grip of anger, hatred, or apathy. Our mind becomes spiritual, made alive to God, the Holy Spirit, and we live in an awareness of His Presence, all of the time.  That person who knows self-control, is able to steadily do the will of God. He practices the disciplines of the Spirit regularly, not just when he feels like it or when he is shamed into it. The word in the original text that translated as ‘patient endurance’ is hupomone, which literally means ‘to stand under’ referring to a person who gets under a load and lifts it to carry it.  Maturity calls us to stick with Jesus’ call when it goes against our comfort, that we serve when it is inconvenient, that we love when it is costly to Self.

The evidence of our maturity is not our mastery of finer points of theology, though that may happen. Peter says that maturity is visible in our godliness.  We could us the word ‘piety’ here. Mature Christians are truly holy, lifting others into God’s Presence without a word just by being in the same room!  What a blessed thing, to honor Him, to make Him known, by carrying His presence with us wherever we go.   Mere religion does not have this authentic quality nor is it inviting. Religiosity, a scrupulous attention to rules, makes us judgmental and unloving. True godliness, Peter says, fills us with ‘brotherly kindness.’  We pull people together and focus their attention, not on us, but on the Spirit of God who lives in us.

Are you growing up in Christ?  Here is the word from the Word, that same passage from 2 Peter, from The Message. "So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus." (2 Peter 1:5-8, The Message)

________

Holy Spirit

(a song of adoration and invitation)

There's nothing worth more that will ever come close

No thing can compare You're our living hope

Your Presence

I've tasted and seen of the sweetest of loves

Where my heart becomes free and my shame is undone

In Your Presence Lord

Holy Spirit You are welcome here

Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere

Your glory God is what our hearts long for

To be overcome by Your Presence Lord

Your Presence Lord

Your Presence Lord

Your Presence

Oh God how we love Your Presence Lord

Let us become more aware of Your Presence

Let us experience the glory of Your goodness

Bryan Torwalt | Katie Torwalt

© 2011 Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Jesus Culture Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Hidden under a bucket?

I was at one of our church’s buildings around 6:30 this morning. A truck pulled up in the parking lot and the driver leaned out the window and asked what I was doing there so early.  I laughed and answered, “It’s Monday.”  “Too early,” he replied, “way too early for both of us.”  It’s Monday! For most of us “Monday” is synonymous with “work.” It means getting up to get the kids off to school, getting into the car for that commute, punching in for another day in the plant. A new week stretches out in front of us. Is it a week that you will just survive or will you thrive?

We serve God as much on Monday as on Sunday. Our work matters to Him as much as our worship!

Do you compartmentalize your faith? Is Jesus welcome to go with you to work, to shape your thoughts, your words, your attitude there among the struggle of office politics, when you have to deal with a selfish supervisor, when you are tempted to just do the minimum because any extra effort is resented or goes completely unnoticed?   Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  (Matthew 5)  I am sure that He intended to include that 40 to 60 hours that we will spend at that place of employment on the job!

Daniel, the captive from Jerusalem who ended up serving a pagan king in Babylon, is a great model for us. He never abandoned his faith in God under pressure. He never succumbed to the ‘office politics’ that landed him in the lion’s den at one point. He consistently served the Lord with great excellence and the knowledge of his devotion spread throughout the palace.  He was sought out by several different kings for his wisdom because they knew he was a person of integrity. It is worth noting that his dedication did not exempt him from real opposition and suffering! 

If you are a quiet witness to Christ through your integrity and diligence you will almost certainly face some difficulties, too.  Many will pressure you to just ‘go along to get along.’  Make sure that your words do not outrun your actions. I have known too many Christians who noisily proclaimed their love for the Lord while slacking off, playing the same power games, or cutting ethical corners.  Their lives made a mockery of their profession. It is so much better to live in such a way that others have no argument with the depth of our devotion.

You might think that taking Jesus to work and living to honor Him is an impossibly high standard. How can I consistently live to honor my Lord?

Peter answers that for us.  As you head off into a new work week, here is a promise to own.   "As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature." (2 Peter 1:3-4, NLT)  Plug into Him this morning.  Hit the pause button for a moment and pray for the Spirit to work in you. Tell Him about that challenging co-worker and ask for patience. Confess that desire you know is unworthy of Him and let Him start to change your heart.  Lean into Jesus!

The word from the Word comes from Jesus. I quoted this passage above. Here it is again, from The Message. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16, The Message)

Go, be a blessing and let the Light shine.

_________

Living Hope

(Jesus, You are my living hope)

How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation I turned to heaven

And spoke Your name into the night

Then through the darkness Your loving-kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished the end is written

Jesus Christ my living hope

Who could imagine so great a mercy

What heart could fathom such boundless grace

The God of ages stepped down from glory

To wear my sin and bear my shame

The cross has spoken I am forgiven

The King of kings calls me His own

Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever

Jesus Christ my living hope

Hallelujah praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There’s salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ my living hope

Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

Jesus Yours is the victory

Jesus Christ my living hope

Oh God You are my living hope

Brian Johnson | Phil Wickham

© 2017 Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])

Simply Global Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])

Sing My Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])

Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055