Beloved YOU

Holding our smartphone at arm’s length, we can take self-portraits.  Do you take ‘selfies?’  Most of us do, at one time or another, and with varying degrees of happiness with with the image we capture. I am notorious for using my phone’s camera to take pictures and because those in the pictures are not prepped and posing, the result is not always a portrayal liked by others! Then, again, many see themselves only with critical eyes. “That pictures make me look ___________ (you can fill in whatever adjective works best for you).  Seldom does anyone say, “that’s a great picture of me!”

How do you see yourself, my friend? Do you only see that temper? Do you see only that part of your personality that you think is your greatest flaw? Here is something I know… God is a Father who thinks you are beautiful. As I love to say, the One who knows you best, loves you most.  That part of your life that you hate, that one thing in you that you constantly ask Him to change, heal, or take away- may serve a good purpose when we put it into His hands. I am not suggesting that we rejoice in our sins or make peace with unholy habits.  It is right to ask the Spirit to empower and transform us, but there are times when He will not take what we think to be a curse from us because it keeps us faithful to Him.

It is often at the point of our greatest 'weakness' that God finds the opportunity to do His greatest work.  Paul was extraordinarily used of God and because of his gifts, he was subject to pride, which could have destroyed him. God gave him another ‘gift,’ that made him God-aware and Spirit-reliant.  I love his authenticity in this passage:  "I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, NLT)  We cannot know what he wanted God to take away and can only speculate over Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' (NIV) but whatever it was, he disliked it enough to pray long and hard for healing. God said, "No! That thing is my gift to you to keep you leaning hard on my grace, not yourself.” 

I love the lesson about becoming aware of our true self and God’s will that is found in the story of that night when Jacob wrestled with a heavenly messenger at the Ford of Jabbok. He was anxious about his coming meeting with his older brother, Esau, a man he had defrauded years before. I am sure he felt some shame, too. But God met him and gave him a new identity. The encounter left him a changed man. "Then the man (messenger) said, “Let me go, for it is dawn.” But Jacob panted, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won.” (Genesis 32:26-28, NLT)  There was another result, less pleasant. Jacob’s hip was wrenched and he walked with a limp from that day.  Yes, that was a daily reminder of his life-changing encounter with the Lord’s messenger! 

Christian, sees you as you are and loves you wholly!  He sees the personality, the gifts, the flaws, the failures, the sins, the strengths that make the wonder of you!  I encourage you to take a second look at that part of your life that makes you feel ‘ugly,’ and make it the thing that drives you to your knees.  Prayerfully consider, with the help and insight of the Spirit, whether God is giving you a 'gift'  to keep you close to Him. Thank Him that He is greater than your weakness and present Him with your 'problem,' inviting Him to remove it or use it -- in keeping with His eternal purposes.  Make the statement of faith with Paul - “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”   When we, by faith, come to accept that Jesus is ‘enough’  we will be filled with His grace, His joy will fill our heart and mind.

Here is a word from the Word. Let’s not read it as a threat, but as a promise of His sufficient grace for our weakness. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:12-16, NIV) Let God love you to life!

(Video of this blog at this link)

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I Speak Jesus

I just want to speak the Name of Jesus

Over ev'ry heart and ev'ry mind

'Cause I know there is peace within Your presence

I speak Jesus

 

I just want to speak the Name of Jesus

'Til ev'ry dark addiction starts to break

Declaring there is hope and there is freedom

I speak Jesus

 

('Cause) Your Name is power

Your Name is healing

Your Name is life

Break ev'ry stronghold

Shine through the shadows

Burn like a fire

 

I just want to speak the Name of Jesus

Over fear and all anxiety

To ev'ry soul held captive by depression

I speak Jesus

 

Shout Jesus from the mountains

Jesus in the streets

Jesus in the darkness over ev'ry enemy

Jesus for my fam'ly

I speak the holy Name Jesus

 

Abby Benton | Carlene Prince | Dustin Smith | Jesse Reeves | Kristen Dutton | Raina Pratt

© 2019 BEC Worship; Raina Pratt Publishing Designee; WriterWrong Music; For Me and My House Songs; Integrity's Praise! Music; Worship Coalition Songs

CCLI License # 810055

Beautiful People

It probably comes as no surprise to learn that people who are attractive by social norms enjoy many advantages in life. They are generally perceived as being more intelligent, healthier, and happier. This one really surprised me - pretty people are considered more trustworthy and honest! Organizations led by people, men and women, who are physically attractive generally are more profitable over time. Studies prove that  attractive individuals are more likely to be hired, promoted and receive higher salaries.  Apparently we are, in spite of all our advances in knowledge, still owned by basic biology! 

While we do not all get to be ‘pretty’ we can become beautiful people! That’s a hopeful word for me. How about you?

Jesus, announcing His ministry as the Savior/Redeemer, used words of promise from Isaiah. "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." (Isaiah 61:1-3, NIV)  How I love that promise! The bruised, the broken, the downtrodden, the ignored, the unlovely - find new hope in their Savior Who makes them truly beautiful from the inside out.

Unlike us, God is not impressed by a pretty face. Remember the story of the selection of David to become king of Israel? The preacher, Samuel, was directed by the Spirit to the home of Jesse. When he saw the first-born son, Eliab, he was immediately impressed and thought “Surely this is God’s anointed one!”  The Spirit then told him “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions. (*the heart!)” (1 Samuel 16:7, NLT)  David, the youngest son was nearly overlooked by his family and the prophet, but not by the Lord God who knew him.

Jesus, in the Beatitudes, spoke of a beautiful life in terms that are at complete odds with our natural way of thinking. He said that the poor, the mourner, the meek could enjoy the full favor of God’s blessings! In another passage, He promised that in God’s kingdom ‘the first will be last.’  Those who live full of themselves, proud of their status and full of Self-confidence, miss out on the beauty that God creates in those who are humble, who love the things of the Spirit, who are changed into persons in whom is found the ‘display of His splendor.’

Has your soul been broken by hate? 
Have you been abused, misused, or ignored leaving you without hope in life? 
Does regret for the past turn you inward, casting a shadow over you that hides joy?
Does fear hold you captive, causing you to live behind walls?

There is a Savior who loves you!  When we trust Him, giving ourselves to Him, He makes us whole again and gives us a kind of inner beauty that is unrelated to our body symmetry or how others see our face! Bow your head and invite Him to remake you from the inside out.  This Word will become your word - you will be "known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." (1 Peter 3:4, NLT)

Here is the word from the Word. I pray we will allow Him to make us the kind of people known not for a pretty face but a beautiful heart! "Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Beautiful Things

All this pain

I wonder if I'll ever find my way

I wonder if my life could really change

At all

 

All this earth

Could all that is lost ever be found

Could a garden come up from this ground

At all

 

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

 

Hope is springing up from this old ground

Out of chaos life is being found

In You

 

You make me new You are making me new

You make me new You are making me new

 

Lisa Gungor | Michael Gungor

© 2009 worshiptogether.com songs

CCLI License # 810055

 

Take Jesus with you to work

I deeply appreciate a job well done, finished with the aim of being the best possible. One of my regrets in life (we all have them, don’t we) is the kind of student I was in my high school years. Too focused on just ‘getting grades’ I often just did what was necessary to get a “B” instead of giving the extra time to earn the “A” that was within my reach. With maturity came the realization that the real motivation for putting in effort, be it in school, at work, or in my home, was the joy of being my personal best for God’s glory. The reward offered by grades or money was secondary.  There is a real satisfaction to found in the knowledge that I have done my best, using my abilities and opportunities in a way that reflects commitment.  

The temptation to measure our work and/or accomplishments by ‘the numbers’ is always there for us, isn’t it? When we work for a title, or more money, or for some award it is quite possible to only enough to win approval. Even worse, we can become driven, not knowing the sense of contentment that comes from knowing who we are, what we are capable of doing, and being guided by a choice to serve well.   

This choice for excellence is a spiritual matter, for in our best effort we honor Christ, our Lord!

Paul, writing to the lowest rung of the society of his day, said this: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,  because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” (Ephesians 6:5-8)  What’s the principle? “Do your personal best, for the sake of Christ!”

So, let me ask you, do you take Jesus with you to work?  
Is your day to day life, your effort, a reflection of your status as God’s child, reflecting well on the One you claim as Savior and Lord?

I am both encouraged and sobered by the promise of His reward for the way I live; encouraged because it promises no effort is overlooked, sobered because He knows me inside out! "For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:10-12, NIV) No one will steal the credit for your work before God. There will be no one to blame if you have failed to do your best with what God has given you; one coin, two sides.

The world in which we live is filled with people who learn how to play the game, who know how to look good. Our God is unimpressed by lengthy meetings that produce nothing, by 'puffed' reports that impress others but that hide scarce results. We need to know that God's work is our work!  Our Father has invested in us, loving us, saving us, gifting us. Now, how will we live?  It is a worthy question.

Here's a vivid metaphor about building a quality life. Take it with you today and pray to do ‘your utmost for His highest.’ (Chambers)
"No one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone’s work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. 

But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames. Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple." (1 Corinthians 3:10-17, NLT)

PS - This judgment is not about 'getting to Heaven.' That's a finished work, secured by the grace of Jesus Christ who granted us eternal life. This is about how we live for God each day.

What kind of temple are you building, my friend?

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Build My Life

Worthy of ev'ry song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You

Jesus the name above ev'ry other name
Jesus the only one who could ever save
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You We live for You

Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me

I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken

Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett

© 2016 Kaple Music; Capitol CMG Genesis; Housefires Sounds; Said And Done Music; sixsteps Music; Thankyou Music; Vamos Publishing; worshiptogether.com songs; Martin, Karl Andrew; Bethel Music Publishing

The Acceptable Sin?

(One from the archives, a reminder for this day)

The sign stood along the highway, proudly embellished with an American flag, declaring – “Bill’s American. English spoken here.”  The owner of the service station was playing off of the fact that most of the gas stations in NJ are staffed by men from India who speak very little English. (Jerseyans can’t pump their own gas, by law!)  I don’t know Bill and have no idea if he thought his sign was funny or if he hoped it would attract more customers, but I always read it as an expression of bigotry, a way to say, “They are not us.”  Now that same station is owned and staffed by Asian immigrants who, ironically, speak very poor English! I think it is a kind of poetic justice.

Segregation, supported by institutional racism, was an acceptable sin for many Americans. I say ‘was’ hopefully, knowing that racism is very much alive and well. The difference now is that there are many voices that challenge it! Today we celebrate the life of a man who used his God-given gifts to reshape America’s attitudes towards race.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a pastor in Birmingham, Alabama who saw the evil of segregation and named it for what it was - sin. His vision of non-violent resistance spared many lives as the civil rights movement gained momentum. Ever the preacher, Dr. King drew inspiration from the Scripture, using the picture words of the Old Testament prophets to great effect.  He loved to quote Amos, "let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." (Amos 5:24, KJV)  

Perhaps his greatest gift to us was the formation of a new vision for America, best summed up in what are his most memorable speech which we now call, “I have a dream.” Few, if any, knew the strength of his words when they were spoken that day from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 23, 1963, but his vision reshaped these United States.  "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Where we see divisions by class, or religion, or race, or sex we must challenge it. We cannot allow this sin to become acceptable. It is a subtle one that hides itself behind all kinds of words. Being ‘different’ becomes being of lesser value. Judgment of behavior becomes a reason to reject persons. Give such thoughts no standing. 

Disciple, in Christ there is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’  In Him we ALL stand on equal ground. "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28, NIV)  The Scripture insists that how we love God and how we love other people are inseparable. We cannot claim to love God and hate others!

I leave this word from the Word with you today. As you ponder it, let God use it to shape your heart and mind.
"With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:6-8, NIV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Do you know His Providence?

Just about every Christian has days when faith wavers under the weight of frustration or disappointment. Life falls apart in spite of our best efforts and we wonder “Does God know what He’s doing?” Sometimes His plan emerges quickly and we feel the joy of resolution. Some situations remain without explanation years later. 

When I was a young preacher, fresh and ready to take on the world, I felt strongly led by the Spirit to uproot my little family and move 2000 miles west to Wyoming. There, in the town of Gillette, a booming energy center at the time, I planned to plant a new church. After our arrival in the town, one frustration followed another. I ended up working as a laborer laying concrete for parking lots so we could pay the bills. In all of that, a friend connected me with an engineering company that was looking for quality control person for a huge job site!   

Over the next 12 months I learned how to read blueprints and about major construction practices. Then, my Dad called me from New Jersey asking if I would come back to the church to become the project manager of the construction of a large church building. I thought I went to Wyoming to plant a church. God led me there to gain an education and to prepare me for the next step in the road. (Beside that, I also learned so much about the meaning of His amazing grace but that’s another story.)

It may sound like a cliché but here is what I know today – at the end of my dreams there is the plan of my loving Father! 

About 6 centuries before the time of Christ Jesus, the Jews found themselves overtaken by the Assyrians, their nation destroyed, their dreams shattered. Many concluded that the story of God’s people was over, but there was a promise from the LORD: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." (Jeremiah 29:11-12, NIV)  In His time, they did rebuild the nation!

The story of Ruth is one of providence, too!   Naomi and her family were living in Moab. Her two sons married Moabite women and for 10 years, life was good, then... her husband and both sons died! Naomi's life was tragic, her dreams shattered. As she prepared to return to Israel, her daughter in law, Ruth, declared that she would go there, too. They were poor, struggling to survive on the generosity of the people in Naomi’s hometown.  Where was God in all that happened to her? Right there with her. Now that might just seem to the 'right' answer, but it is the true answer. After learning of the tragic circumstances of her life, we are encouraged by the end of Naomi's story.  Her daughter in law was loved by one of Naomi’s kinsmen. He married her and that Moabite woman became the great-grandmother of King David!!

God used Naomi, to touch an alien woman’s life. Ruth was brought to Israel and included in the line of David and the line of the Messiah, Jesus. You might read that and say, "So, does that make the pain Naomi had to endure all right?" I cannot answer that, nor can you! 

Here is what I do know- at the end of our dreams we find God’s purposes. Often, because of our prideful self-sufficiency, God must allow our dreams to be shattered so we can find His plan for us. When God doesn't make OUR dreams come true, we are faced with a huge choice. Will we trust Him and wait for a new dream to replace the shattered one OR will we descend into bitterness and unbelief?

In such moments, I borrow the prayer of a desperate father who brought his son for healing to Jesus and cried out when the Lord asked him to believe: "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!" (Mark 9.24)

IF we will trust Him, He can give us a new dream, a new life that recovers HOPE! Life is not about us living in a perfectly balanced scale where the pain is always offset by the blessings, where the hard times are offset by the good times. Life is about living in full faith, trusting that He is able to keep us secure in His love through the shattered dreams! 

Are you wondering if God knows what He’s doing today? 
Quiet your heart!
Reach out to people who will love you, weep with you, and hold you up until your faith is strong enough to touch the heart of God again.

Reject the easy answers, the psycho-babble, the half- truths..... but do not reject God. Ask Him for courage to weep yet keep hope and faith intact as you pray --- "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!"

The word from the Word comes from Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth. As you read his witness to God’s goodness, may faith grow in you. "I think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people’s prayers for our safety have been answered." (2 Corinthians 1:8-11, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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I love this hymn, singing it often!

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning
New mercies I see;
All I have needed
Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Lord, unto me.

Great is Thy faithfulness,
O God my Father,
There is no shadow
Of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not,
Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been
Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter
And springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars
In their courses above;
Join with all nature
In manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness,
Mercy and love

Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence
To cheer and to guide;
Strength for today
And bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine,
With ten thousand beside!

Chisholm, Thomas O. / Runyan, William M © 1923. Renewed 1951 Hope Publishing Company

CCLI License No. 810055

Praying like you mean it!

When you pray, for yourself and for others, for what do you ask?  Do you pray specifically, making direct requests? Or, are you prayers filled with churchy words, a string of 'hallelujahs' and 'thank you, Jesus' phrases that mean little to you?   Such prayers reflect little of the passion God wants to see in us.  God reserves the right to answer our prayers as He sees fit, but we do not have to protect Him or ourselves by avoiding direct petitions. 

Ask God for specifics for your friend.  Does she struggle with addiction, for example?  Then …
Pray against the strategies of the Evil One.
Pray that she will find people to stand with her to encourage and provide accountability.  
Pray that God will let her touch the bottom of desperation and
that the Spirit will shine the light of hope into that pit.  Yes, that kind of specific prayer is what God desires from us.

In Mark 10, we are told the story of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. He sat by the roadside everyday depending on the generosity of others for survival. One day, he heard a commotion of a crowd. “When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (10:47) He believed Jesus could help him and he believed he needed to make his need known. In his desperation, he set aside propriety!

Blind beggars were used to calling out to those passing by for help, but they also were used to being ignored. Bartimaeus was not going to be ignored and so he shouted for Jesus' attention. His 'prayer' irritated people who were standing nearby and yet he kept it up! "Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:48, NIV)

Jesus stopped and asked that the yelling beggar be  brought to him.  The question He asked of the man might seen cruel: "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. (10:51)  But, Jesus was urging the blind man to go deeper, to understand what he really wanted Him to do. "Do you want some money? Do you want someone to care for you? What do you want?"   Bart says, "I WANT TO SEE!"  

The request is direct, focused, and begs an answer. It is a prayer full of faith, too. Jesus healed him on the spot.  “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." (Mark 10:52, NIV)

Jesus taught this about our most earnest praying. “And now about prayer. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you." (Matthew 6:5-6, NLT)  Public prayers are not wrong, but our most earnest praying will be done where we get real with God, where we are able to cry, shout, groan, and speak honestly!  That kind of prayer changes us and our world.

If we are convinced that Jesus Christ is One with the solutions to our problems, then we need to ask Him boldly and clearly, for what we need and/or want. It is His place as Lord and Master to say, "yes" or to say "no." It is our place to ask. More than a few of us are blind today -- not physical blindness, but blind to the true state of our heart, blind to the needs of the world around us, and even blind when it comes to 'seeing' God's plans for our lives. We need to get desperate and cry out, yes... SHOUT, even.... "Lord, have mercy on me! I want to see!"

Here at at the start of 2024, I pray for clear vision, for a renewed desire to dream the dreams He has for me, for the courage to ask God for BIG things on behalf of others, and for the resolution to keep faith connected to my day to day life. How about you? “And all God’s people said, … Amen.”

Here is a word from the Word. Lord, increase our faith! "Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." (Matthew 7:7-11, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Open my eyes

Open my eyes, that I may see,

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me.

Place in my hands the wonderful key

That shall unclasp and set me free.

 

Silently now, I wait for Thee,

Ready, my God, Thy will to see!

Open my eyes, illumine me,

Spirit divine.

 

Open My Eyes That I May See (Open My Eyes)

Clara H. Fiske Scott

© Words: Public Domain

Follow Your Heart

How many times have you been told - “just follow your heart”?  Sounds right, doesn’t it?  We will not live with much joy if we choose to dutifully slog through this new year doing whatever someone else tells us to do. Each one of us is unique and to that extent it is a good thing to live joyfully in who we are.

I stood alongside of a young man yesterday who took tools in hand and fixed a machine in a matter of moments and watched the happiness of accomplishing that task spread over his face. It’s who he is. He would be miserable behind a desk!  I know a family who loves the various animals that are part of their lives. They expend great energies in their care of the many creatures. While I do not share their love, I admire the joy they find in the work because it is uniquely who they are.

The ‘noble person’ idea is an attractive philosophy to us, allowing us to believe that we are capable of accomplishing great good by our own efforts. Again there is a kernel of truth there. Human beings can do incredibly wonderful  things for the good of the world. But, inside of every one of us there is a flaw - an attraction to Self that twists our most noble impulse into that which ultimately serves our own desires. We cannot abandon all other guidelines in the pursuit of our joy. 

Those who cast off all restraints to ‘follow their hearts’ fail to understand a basic tenet of the wisdom of God that reminds us of the unpleasant truth of sin. Here’s what we learn. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, NIV) Our natural desire is self-preservation, which unchecked by law or Spirit, becomes an expression of selfishness. If human beings were innately good, we would not need our laws, would we?

However, we know that when law is thrown off or breaks down, chaos is quick to follow.  A simple example is a classroom of 5^th graders. Take the teacher out of the classroom for a while and see how quickly the rules are forgotten.  Paul reminds us of the "sinful nature.”  Because of it we experience a conflict of values.  He says “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway." (Romans 7:18-19, NLT)

There is HOPE for us.  Our hearts can be changed. When Christ Jesus entered the world He brought the gift of salvation from sin and invites us to experience the ongoing transformation that is the Spirit’s work in us to make us new, beautiful, whole beings who discover the joy of His plans and purpose.  Oh, yes, I readily acknowledge that mere religion will be just another tool of power used by the privileged to take advantage of the masses.  God’s invitation to us is not to adopt the rules written by others so that we can meet their expectatsions.  He invites us to come and follow Christ!  We can overcome sin and through faith find great joy in the company of the Living God.  This is His amazing declaration -  "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

Christians, like their Lord, will be ready to give up their lives to defeat evil with love. The laste Timothy Keller said “If we embrace the Christian teaching that Jesus is God and that he went to the Cross, then we have deep consolation and strength to face the brutal realities of life on earth. We can know that God is truly Emmanuel – God with us- even in our worst sufferings.” (Reason for God, Riverhead, 2008) We see the cross is followed by resurrection and therefore we have great hope that our dying to self will be followed by the emergence of something new and glorious. When our heart and mind are informed by the truth of the Word and we are given unique callings and abilities by God. Led by the Spirit, we can go beyond ‘following our heart’ to following the Spirit, Who will never make us slaves. He will instead make us into that person God created us to be, a being who lives for Him and finds great joy in their uniqueness.

As we launch into this New Year, let’s not be deceived by those who urge us to ‘just follow your heart!’ Instead let’s pray for the new, whole, and holy life that God gives us in Christ.

Here is the word from the Word. I am using The Message, a contemporary paraphrase of the Scripture today. Let the promise own you!
"So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?”

God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him! " (Romans 8:12-17, The Message)  

Let’s keep in step with the Spirit!

(Video of this blog at this link)

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I Want to Be More Like Jesus

As each day passes by, I feel my love run dry

I get so weary, worn and tossed 'round in the storm

Well I'm blind to all His needs and I'm tired of planting seeds

I seem to have a wealth of so many thoughts about myself

 

I want to, I need to, be more like Jesus

I want to, I need to, be more like Him

Our Father's will was done by giving us His Son

Who paid the highest cost, to point us to the cross

 

And when I think of Him taking on the whole world's sin

I take one look at me compared to what I'm called to be

I want to, I need to, be more like Jesus

I want to, I need to, be more like Him

Remember, there's no greater love

Than to lay down your life for a friend

 

The end of all my prayers is to care like my Lord cares

My one and only goal, His image in my soul

Yes, my weakness is revealed when by His stripes I'm healed

He's faithful and He's true to complete the work He begins in you

 

I want to, I need to, be more like Jesus

I want to, I need to, be more like Him

Remember, there's no greater love

Than to lay down your life, no

There's no greater love than to lay down your life

For a friend, for a friend

 

I want to, I need to, be more like Jesus

I want to, I need to, be more like Him

I want to, I need to, be more like Jesus

I want to, I need to, be more like Him

I want to, I need to, be more like Jesus

I want to, I need to, be more like Him

 

Songwriters: Keith Gordon Green / Melody Green / Kelly Faye Willard

Who are YOU?

At the outset of 2024 have you taken some time to think over what you hope for, what you want to accomplish, what needs to be strengthened, what needs to be repaired?  I do not do New Year’s Resolutions because I know that the grand statements made in the first week of January are usually forgotten or discarded within a week or two.  Knowing who am I, being self-aware, and praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help me define life is important!  Why? Because the choices we make are shaped by what is in our head, even if we are not conscious of those values.

A psychologist writes that "Self-awareness is the ability to focus on yourself and how your actions, thoughts, or emotions align with your internal standards. If you're highly self-aware, you can objectively evaluate yourself, manage your emotions, align your behavior with your values, and understand correctly how others perceive you."  This kind of emotional maturity is much less common than you might think. Many people live most of their lives reacting to others, to situations, rather than acting to shape the life they live!

If asked, could you state three truths that shape your life today that no amount of pressure can change? (music, please, while we think...)

The difficulty in that assignment comes, in part, from the layers of overlapping interests, from the complexity of demands that directly compete.  Christians know the will of God, guided by the Spirit who asks our primary devotion. Competing with the Spirit is the constant lure of Self-interest that desires comfort, security, and happiness.  The voices of our spouses, kids, neighbors, government, bosses, pastors, politicians, pundits, and social media are always there, too. 

Is the importance of knowing who you are and to what or to whom you give your primary loyalty becoming more obvious? Let me help us to think  with some practical questions.  

When pleasure and worship compete for the same time in our week, what will ultimately shape the choice I make?

When God's requirement that I belong to Him collides with my friends pressure to conform to lesser values, what will form my choice?

When life dangles a 'golden' opportunity in front of us that directly impacts our ability to love God and others as we should, what will cause us to make the right decision?

The wisdom of the Word tells us to "Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other." (Colossians 3:16, NLT) The Psalm of the Word is a prayer and a promise saying, "Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your principles!" (Psalm 119:2-5, NLT)

Knowing who we ‘in Christ’ will lead us to lives of integrity, people who live without shadows.  By contrast, if we live one way at church, another way at home, and yet another way at work- we will become, in the words of James, “double-minded” and therefore, “unstable in all our ways."

At the outset of 2024, lets take up the challenge of knowing the truth of God, living in regular worship and fellowship with other Christians so we grow in understanding. May a growing self-awareness lead us to a new hunger for the Word and the Spirit so that we have a solid foundation.  Jesus says “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." (Matthew 7:24-25, NIV)

Take some time for reflection, silent thought, perhaps with pen and paper in hand to help you with the process. Even better, if you have a trusted friend, take time to take the conversation to a deeper level that will help you to grow. We are never too old to learn and grow in grace!

The word from the Word for today is a great Psalm. Read it prayerfully.

"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.
But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night they think about his law.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail.

Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper." (Psalm 1:1-3, NLT)   What promise is found in those words. Lord, lead us. Amen.

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Build My Life

Worthy of ev'ry song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You

Jesus the name above ev'ry other name
Jesus the only one who could ever save
Worthy of ev'ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You We live for You

Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me

I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken

Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett

© 2016 Kaple Music; Capitol CMG Genesis; Housefires Sounds; Said And Done Music; sixsteps Music; Thankyou Music; Vamos Publishing; worshiptogether.com songs; Martin, Karl Andrew; Bethel Music Publishing

 

CCLI License # 810055

That is how you stand firm

I wrote these thoughts 8 years ago today, just a few hours before Bev died.  As I thought about that day I found the devotion that I wrote that morning while in great anguish. The words are still true and worth repeating, not just in the face of death, but as we begin a New Year.  “That is how you stand firm.”

____________

“Oh, how can I do this?” Bev asked me sorrowfully as we both sensed that the days ahead were about to become even more difficult. Perhaps I merely state the obvious, but there is no escaping that dying is hard. There is grief, loss of dignity, and frequently terrible bodily pain. Bev was not alone in musing about how to travel that road hopefully. I too wondered - in my own thoughts - “How can I do this?”  The hospice resources offered practical advice: “Keep friends close. Use music to soothe the troubled soul. Follow familiar faith practices. Talk with people who understand and empathize. Try to get regular rest.”  We have done all those things, and yet . . .   the sorrow is crushing, the pain of spirit unlike any earthly ache I have ever known.

Prayerfully today, I turn to the wisdom that is from above and find an old, new truth.  The only way to endure is to remember Heaven! When Bev and I were talking and I offered the thought to her that the best way to ‘do this’ was to focus on the Eternal Promise of unending Life in Heaven. She was not, in that moment, greatly encouraged! She is a fighter and, up until a few days ago, was determined to stay with me and her family as long as possible. We love what and who we can see, touch, and hold. Still, we can only walk the road though the valley of the shadow when we have Heaven in our heart. 

Paul says it this way:  "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. 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 3:20-4:1, NIV)

Have you Heaven in your heart, your mind, and your soul? I am nearer heaven these days as my wife lays dying in the next room. She has slipped beyond my words and no longer can respond to my caress.

The sense of loss would be beyond description except for that hope that I possess in faith- “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." (John 14:1-3, NLT) I am glad that I am not attempting to make reservations at this late hour!  Long ago, Bev and I put our trust in the One who saves, who makes us alive forevermore.  Have you?

The word from the Word steadies me on this rocky way.  Though sad, I am not hopeless. My prayer is that the Truth will steady you, too. "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55, NIV)  "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV)

__________

As we begin 2024, we may find the promise of new beginnings. There are also many who live with the gathering dark clouds of tragedy. The drumbeat of war grows more intense. The political scene is chaotic. But in all of this we who are ‘in Christ’ can ‘stand firm’ because we have our sights set on a home eternal, promised by God who is unchanging. So, “That is how you stand firm.”

May you find in Him a blessed New Year.

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Graves Into Gardens

I searched the world but it couldn't fill me

Man's empty praise and treasures that fade

Are never enough

Then You came along and put me back together

And every desire is now satisfied here in Your love

 

Oh there's nothing better than You

There's nothing better than You

Lord there's nothing

Nothing is better than You

 

I'm not afraid to show You my weakness

My failures and flaws

Lord You've seen them all

And You still call me friend

'Cause the God of the mountain

Is the God of the valley

There's not a place

Your mercy and grace won't find me again

 

You turn mourning to dancing

You give beauty for ashes

You turn shame into glory

You're the only one who can

You turn graves into gardens

You turn bones into armies

You turn seas into highways

You're the only one who can

Brandon Lake | Chris Brown | Steven Furtick | Tiffany Hudson

© 2019 Brandon Lake Music; Maverick City Publishing Worldwide; Music by Elevation Worship Publishing; Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

What makes the difference?

Let me pose a question that might make you uncomfortable. Are you a Christian from the inside out? Perhaps you do not understand the query.  There are millions of people who do “Christian” things - going to church, able to converse about the Holy Scripture, knowledgeable about the traditions of the faith, living a life that is morally upright. But, if you engage many of those persons in a discussion about the loving God, they admit they do not understand the concept. You discover that they cannot claim a solid assurance about eternal life or that they are God’s child. 

Jesus met a man like that. Sensing that there is ‘more,’ he came to Jesus asking how to inherit eternal life. When Jesus asked him about his observance of the Commandments, he responded: "The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a child.” (Luke 18:21, NLT) Jesus did not challenge his claim so he was truthful. He did all the right things but he did not know God as his “Abba,” his real Father. 

Interestingly, Jesus did not attempt to convince the man of the love of God!  He challenged him to look at his own heart! “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22, NIV)  The Lord knew that this challenge would cause that rich young man to look inside and there he would find that one thing he could not do on his own.

True conversion, an inside out experience of God’s grace, only happens when we come to the end of ourselves, realizing our inability to true love God - heart, soul, mind, and strength - on our own.  God does not allow us to feel this pain and or hopelessness because He enjoys our misery.  We can only own the treasure of His love when we are willing to completely trust His grace. 

If we would be truly different, people of the Kingdom of God, we must receive what we can never earn or gain. It’s a transformation that comes from the inside out, by revelation, instigated by the Spirit of God acting on us. We are not passive. In the mystery of His plan, He asks us to answer His gift of grace with faith.

Paul describes this as the ‘foolishness of the Gospel.’ It takes away any reason for pride, any hope that we have in our own discipline, intelligence, or heritage. At the Cross, the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the royal and the commoner, those morally upright and those whose lives are a drama of self-destruction – stand on level ground. "God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much …(that)  He raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms—all because we are one with Christ Jesus. … we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:4,6,10 NLT)

The Christian life is an ‘inside out’ transformation. God does look for change. The things we once loved lose their appeal as we come to love Him. As we ‘keep in step with the Spirit’ we joyfully say yes to love, forgiveness, and generosity;  no to selfishness. Jesus was not compromising on the truth.  Those who know God’s grace will most certainly have a new life, a new heart. That new life shows up in ever increasing measure. Jesus says it this way -  "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." (Matthew 7:16-18, NIV)

Are you desperate for the love of your Abba?

Do you want to be different from the inside out?

Do you desire to be a true worshipper?

Flip the pursuit from trying to trusting, from looking at your accomplishments to thanking Him for His gift to you.  If we try to experience God’s full life by pointing out how good we have been or how much we have sacrificed for our religion- we insult the Lord of Love. Rather, we thank Him for His amazing love with true humility having glimpsed our brokenness that is offset by His gracious goodness towards us.

Here’s a word from the Word.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods." (Psalm 40:1-4, NIV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now I'm found

Was blind but now I see

 

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

 

My chains are gone I've been set free

My God my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy rains

Unending love amazing grace

 

The Lord has promised good to me

His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures

 

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbear to shine

But God who called me here below

Will be forever mine

Will be forever mine

You are forever mine

 

Chris Tomlin | John Newton | Louie Giglio

© 2006 Rising Springs Music; Vamos Publishing; worshiptogether.com songs

CCLI License # 810055