Come, Follow Me

One year ago I was privileged to spend 10 days touring the ancient sites in Israel. Each day I followed our guide. Hela led the adventures, explaining the meaning of what we were seeing, setting historical context, offering insight. I’m sure I could have rented a vehicle, used a GPS, and found the same places but my understanding would have been so much less without that little lady who walked at a brisk pace out in front of our group!  I was thrilled to be her ‘disciple’ for that week, learning as much I could from her expertise.

Jesus says “Come, follow me!” The invitation is not just about taking an interest in Him. It is about becoming His disciple, devoted to Him, willingly aligning our lives to His teaching, trusting Him when the Way ahead is hidden to us. We cannot ignore the call to self-denial that comes with His leadership.

He says it simply:  “No one can love two masters!”  Will we adopt the attitude of those first followers? "At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him." (Mark 1:18-21, NIV)   So often we only hear of the ‘cost’ of being His follower. There certainly is a price to be paid but there are rich rewards, a kind of life found in Him that cannot be discovered in any other way.  He says that in Him we find “abundant life,” life in its fullest now and hope of eternal life.

Will you take His invitation to an adventure? There will be some uphill climbs through discouragement, times when you overflow with sweet joy, mountain top moments as His Presence settles over you.  There will be rocky stretches where He will call you on urging you to ‘press on!’   The key through it all is this - Follow!  I urge you to pray something like this: “Father, help me to find You, to follow You, and to show Your goodness in my life. Give me wisdom to say Yes to the Best! Keep me on faithfulness.”

Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi, urging them to follow in his footsteps in an adventure with God, the Holy Spirit. He had made Christ Jesus his Lord and followed Him. Was he flawless in that choice?  He can answer for himself.  "I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection!  

His discipleship was a work in progress.  “But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.” (Philippians 3:12-15, NLT)   “I press on!”

John Bunyan, a devout free Christian in 17^th century England, gave us a classic- Pilgrim’s Progress. This man, barely educated beyond the ability to read and write, wrote of Christian’s journey to the Celestial City. In vivid metaphor, Bunyan writes of the journey through the Slough of Despond, along the Wall of Salvation, in the Valley of Humiliation, into the town of Vanity, including a visit to Doubting Castle, and through the Delectable Mountains.  In the quaint language of the time he reminds us of the necessity of pressing on!

“This hill, though high, I covet to ascend;
The difficulty will not me offend.
For I perceive the way to life lies here.
Come, pluck up, heart; let's neither faint nor fear.
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.”

 Let’s journey on! Remember to ‘keep step with the Spirit, since we live by the Spirit.’  This adventure is not a solo hike.  Travel with those who share your love of the Savior. Together, we will discover the fullness of the life for which we were created as well as God’s rich grace for each day. 

 Meditate on these words of Jesus that speak of the intimate relationship that empowers His followers. The word from the Word calls. Let’s go. Adventure awaits! "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!

My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father. “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love." (John 15:5-10, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me O blessed thought

O words with heavenly comfort fraught

Whate'er I do where'er I be

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me

 

He leadeth me He leadeth me

By His own hand He leadeth me

His faithful follower I would be

For by His hand He leadeth me

Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom

Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom

By water's calm o'er troubled sea

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me

 

Lord I would clasp Thy hand in mine

Nor ever murmur nor repine

Content whatever lot I see

Since 'tis my God that leadeth me

And when my task on earth is done

When by Thy grace the victory's won

E'en death's cold waves I would not flee

Since Thou through Jordan leadeth me

 

 

William Batchelder Bradbury

Words: Public Domain

So, what?

Christians are called to represent Christ every day.  What we say, the things we hope for, the way that we treat others, our love of the truth - these are to make the invisible Christ a knowable Presence.  Paul calls us ‘ambassadors.’  It is a high calling, isn’t it?  The message of God’s love, of meaning for life, entrusted to us, we hope for others to join us in faith, accepting the grace of God and the promise of ‘life to the full’ that we know in Him. But, it does not always work out that way.  Sometimes we are met with a shrug, a ‘so what’ attitude. Sometimes the Good News of Jesus provokes outright hostility. 

What then?  Moses is a great example of persistent and authentic faith! 

In the grand story of Israel’s deliverance told in Exodus there are a lot of detours and disappointments! In chapter 5, we read of Moses’ first encounter with the Pharoah after being sent by God back to Egypt. "After this presentation to Israel’s leaders, Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh. They told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, for they must go out into the wilderness to hold a religious festival in my honor.’ ” “Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the Lord that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:1-2, NLT)  I wonder how those men left the palace?  

But it gets worse for them!  They press on and the hostility of Pharaoh increases.  He dramatically increases the workload of the Israelite slaves, demanding that they not only continue to produce their quota of bricks for his building projects, but that they now gather their own straw that was used in the process. "The slave drivers were brutal. “Meet your daily quota of bricks, just as you did before!” they demanded. Then they whipped the Israelite foremen in charge of the work crews. “Why haven’t you met your quotas either yesterday or today?” they demanded." (Exodus 5:13-14, NLT)

Life gets worse for Moses and Aaron, too! "Since Pharaoh would not let up on his demands, the Israelite foremen could see that they were in serious trouble. As they left Pharaoh’s court, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them. The foremen said to them, “May the Lord judge you for getting us into this terrible situation with Pharaoh and his officials. You have given them an excuse to kill us!” (Exodus 5:19-21, NLT)

That is a mess of missed expectations and dashed hopes, isn’t it?  They did what God asked, to the best of their ability, and things only got worse.  Has this ever happened to you?  I wonder if some part of Moses wondered if it would be better to return to Midian and the simple life of tending sheep?  Here is what we learn. "So Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you mistreated your own people like this, Lord? Why did you send me? Since I gave Pharaoh your message, he has been even more brutal to your people. You have not even begun to rescue them!” (Exodus 5:22-23, NLT)  His choice is to go back to God and pray a most authentic prayer!

Paul, inspired by the Spirit, tells us to always remain steady in our work of representing Christ, when we are met with apathy, when hostility comes our way. How?  "I thank my God every time I remember you. … being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:3,6 NIV)  Do you notice where Paul focuses his confidence?  Go back, read it again.  Yes, he is confident in God’s ability, not his own. Are you?  

The work of God is NOT about you or me. When we meet hostility in our efforts we must remember that the conflict not with us but with God, the Spirit. We need to keep our focus on the right Person!  "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up." (Hebrews 12:2-4, NLT)  We are to be faithful, the results of our serving are in the hands of God.  That’s much easier said than done.  Remember, we cannot control the response of others to the truth of God’s Gospel. The Spirit asks only that we trust Him and make the ‘most of every opportunity’ to share His life and love.

Here’s a promise Jesus made. It is not for wonderful and easy days, but for His continuing Presence in us.  “Everyone will be at your throat because you carry my Name. You’re placed there as sentinels to truth. The Message has to be preached all across the world.  “When they bring you, betrayed, into court, don’t worry about what you’ll say. When the time comes, say what’s on your heart—the Holy Spirit will make his witness in and through you.”  (Mark 13:9-11, The Message)  Let’s do it!

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Battle Belongs

When all I see is the battle

You see my victory

When all I see is a mountain

You see a mountain moved

And as I walk through the shadow

Your love surrounds me

There's nothing to fear now

For I am safe with You

 

So when I fight I'll fight on my knees

With my hands lifted high

O God the battle belongs to You

And every fear I lay at Your feet

I'll sing through the night

O God the battle belongs to You

 

And if You are for me

Who can be against me

For Jesus there's nothing

Impossible for You

When all I see are the ashes

You see the beauty

When all I see is a cross

God You see the empty tomb

 

(An) Almighty Fortress You go before us

Nothing can stand against

The power of our God

You shine in the shadows

You win every battle

Nothing can stand against

The power of our God

 

O God the battle belongs to You

 

Brian Johnson | Phil Wickham

Phil Wickham Music; Simply Global Songs; Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

Heartfelt

We all know that person who is passionate about something that makes their eyes light up, that they will talk about at any given opportunity.  Rich will pull out his phone and show you pictures of his toddlers with evident delight in being a Dad. His joy is infectious!  Joe will launch into a discussion about baseball, his passion for the sport obvious from his mastery of statistics and names.  Another friend is filled with fire over issues of justice, an advocate for those who suffer the neglect of others. She has dedicated her life to working for social change and has no hesitance about sharing her passion! What or who do YOU care about in that kind of heartfelt way?

Now let’s get to my point today -
Is your Christianity a matter of passion as well as knowledge?
Do you really love Jesus?  It is not a meaningless question!

There is this short account of some people in ancient Ephesus who found a heartfelt faith. "While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces. Finally, he came to Ephesus, where he found several believers. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we don’t know what you mean. We haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.” Paul said, “John’s baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God. John himself told the people to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later.” As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied." (Acts 19:1-6, NLT) 

These men had an incomplete conversion. They had made a choice to turn to God but did not know that God could be personally known, that His life could fill not only their head but their heart as well.

I do not want to set up a false equation between head and heart, implying that one is better than the other.  Our Christianity needs to be understood, thought through, and integrated into our daily choices. God, the Holy Spirit, also wants to come to live in us, giving us a real, heartfelt love that makes us a completely new person, inside out! It is a Christianity with passion.

If our Christianity is something we reserve for Sunday worship or special holidays, if we make just about knowing certain doctrines, if it is reduced to going through the motions of religious rituals then we will not know the deepest joy and fulfillment that is possible to us as Christians.  The inspired Word urges us to grow into grace. "So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God." (Hebrews 6:1, NLT) The promise of Jesus is about more than getting to go to heaven, about more than showing up in a church building to feel guilty and say “I’m sorry” over and over again!

The Holy Spirit of God can be invited to live IN us and work through us. When we experience that inner life, when our hearts are changed, we learn to truly love Jesus and the life to which He calls us. The evidence of the life of the Spirit in us is not just saying right words. It is not a careful tending of rules. Rather we delight in those things that make life all that God meant for us. "When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT) Can anyone say that he does not want to know love, joy, and peace in their day to day life?

Let the Good News of Jesus own your heart as well as your head. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you up.  In simple faith ask the Lord to fill you, overflowing from you. Those men in Ephesus were baptized again, the second time not just being a ‘spiritual bath’ focused on old sins, but rather on a faith in the burial and resurrection of Jesus, into eternal life that started that very day!  When you were baptized as a Christian I hope that you too received the fullness of the Spirit, a new and whole life of faith that touches heart and head equally.

Here is the word from the Word. "For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life." (Romans 6:4-8, NLT)  Now, that’s something to be passionate about, isn’t it?

 (Video of this blog at this link)

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Holy Spirit

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

Oh God how we love Your Presence Lord
Let us become more aware of Your Presence
Let us experience the glory of Your goodness (Lord)

Bryan Torwalt | Katie Torwalt

© 2011 Capitol CMG Genesis; Jesus Culture Music

Excuses?

We have an amazing ability to rationalize our choices often shifting responsibility away from ourselves by making excuses! Well, some people do, but maybe not you. “I cannot do that because I am too (old, young, tired, busy)” is a way to dodge the direct statement - “I will not do that because I do not want to!”   Fear is a real motivation for excuses, too.  Who wants to say “I did not try because I was afraid.”?  We let ourselves out of accountability by focusing on ‘reasons’ for our choices that are merely excuses and often transparent to those who hear us offer them. A half-century ago a Sunday School teacher who urged us to live out our Christian commitment was fond of quoting an old revivalist named Billy Sunday who said - “An excuse is a skin of a reason stuffed with lies.”  She was right. 

In the story of the birth of the nation of Israel, told in Exodus, early on we meet a man called by God to be the deliverer and leader of the children of Abraham. Moses had been raised a prince in Egypt but in a fit of rage killed a man and became a fugitive. For 40 years he worked in obscurity, far from the courts of Egypt, tending a flock of sheep. One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. Suddenly, the angel of the Lord appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn’t burn up.  “Amazing!” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go over to see this.”  When the Lord saw that he had caught Moses’ attention, God called to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. Exodus 3:1-4 (NLT)  So far, so good, right?

Then God tells him about the mission He has planned. "The cries of the people of Israel have reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians have oppressed them with heavy tasks. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:9-10, NLT)  Moses cannot bring himself to say “No, I don’t want to do this.” Instead he offers a list of excuses why he cannot do what God wants him to do.

1. Who am I? Who would listen to me?  
2. Who should I tell them has given me this authority?
3. The people won’t believe me even if I tell them God told me.
4. I am not eloquent. I get tongue-tied.
   

In the text, God answers each of Moses’ excuses by focusing the man back on Himself.  He tells him, “I will be with you!” again and again. Moses is not going in his own strength, cleverness, or authority. He is commissioned by God to do holy work which will be accomplished through him by the power of God Himself.

That sounds so good when we say it, but truth be told, it takes a lot of courage to live in God’s way - to forgive, to serve without reward, to set aside our desires to do His will, to trust that our richest rewards will come in eternity, to risk rejection by friends and family when we choose to live counterculturally, for God’s sake. We are tempted, (well, I am, I’ll admit) to retreat into excuses.

What does God desire of you, my friend? 
What do you know you should be doing that you are avoiding? 
Are you fearful of failure and thus not making a radical commitment to Christ?

Rather than make excuses, get alone with God and tell Him the truth about yourself. He will love you, lead you, and remind you that your real strength comes from HIM!

The word from the Word encourages us to step up. Paul was called to the ‘impossible’ task of taking the good news of Jesus and the Kingdom to the Roman Empire’s far reaches. May his inspired words help you to say a ready ‘yes’ to God today.

"But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing. To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? … We preach God’s message with sincerity and with Christ’s authority. And we know that the God who sent us is watching us." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours)

Father let your kingdom come

Father let your will be done

On Earth as in Heaven

Right here in my heart

 

Give us this day our daily bread

Forgive us forgive us

As we forgive the ones who sinned

Against us forgive them

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from the evil one

Let your kingdom come

 

It's yours it's yours

All yours all yours

The kingdom the power

The glory are yours

It's yours it's yours

All yours all yours

Forever and ever

The kingdom is yours

 

On Earth as in Heaven

Right here in my heart

Bryan Fowler | Jacob Sooter | Matt Maher

Be Essential Songs; bryanfowlersongs; Caroco Songs; Just When Publishing; So Essential Tunes

CCLI License # 810055

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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