Adventurously Expectant of His Grace Gifts

Inside me there are two natures that wrestle for mastery.  Because of the new life of the Spirit I am capable of rising to heights of faith, inspired to love sacrificially, filled with profound awe for the Eternal God. Because a sinful nature remains latent, there are times when fear comes like a storm, when I am swept up in a tempest of anger, when I become a selfish man.  Paul knew the struggle and prayed, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24, NIV)  Thankfully, I know my Savior, trust His grace, and find both victory and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This struggle is not unique to me, nor is it uncommon. Abram (later known as Abraham) is the ‘father of the faithful.’  He shows us an astonishing depth of faith; yet, he fails ignominiously. In Genesis 12, we are introduced to him, as he receives the call of God.  "The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." (Genesis 12:1-2, NIV)  He believed that promise and left an established life, a place of security, to travel hundreds of miles to the ‘promised land.’  In Canaan, he built an altar to the Lord, a public statement of his faith.

Then . . .   in the same chapter, he turns into a selfish, fearful, faithless man! During a time of famine, he took his family to Egypt. Look at what he does to his wife. "As he was approaching the borders of Egypt, Abram said to Sarai, “You are a very beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ But if you say you are my sister, then the Egyptians will treat me well because of their interest in you, and they will spare my life.” And sure enough, when they arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of her beauty. When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to their king, the pharaoh, and she was taken into his harem. Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female servants, and camels." (Genesis 12:11-16, NLT)  You can excuse his actions explaining that it was a different culture, but the Bible doesn’t! God did not let Abram get away with this. It was a breach of fidelity to Sarai and a sinful lack of faith in the Lord.

My point today is not to condemn or commend Abram. The lesson for us is one of caution about the possibility of failure that is always present, if we take our eyes from Jesus, “the Author and Perfecter” of our faith.  When we start to feel confident in Self, like the Pharisee in Jesus’ story that ‘prayed’ commending himself to God and declaring that he was so thankful he wasn’t like the ordinary sinners that surrounded him, we let go of the hand of the One who saves and keeps us. But, oh what peace, what power we find in communing with Him. The counsel of the Word is this - "Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish." (Hebrews 12:1-2, NLT)

Where does this Monday morning find you?  Are you on the heights, singing “Victory In Jesus” or flat on your face, full of regret?  Whatever, wherever – look up. Our hope is not in our own righteousness, nor can we aspire to save ourselves. We trust His love, hold to His grace – and amazingly – we are changed from sinner to saint.

The word from the Word is a familiar passage. Read it and take the promise with you today, as you pray for Jesus to shine through you. "With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.  . . . 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?” (Romans 8:1,2,15, The Message)

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Reckless Love

(worship with this song about His love)

Before I spoke a word
You were singing over me

You have been so so good to me

Before I took a breath
You breathed Your life in me

You have been so so kind to me

O the overwhelming never-ending reckless

Love of God

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

Leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn't earn it I don't deserve

Still You give Yourself away

O the overwhelming never-ending reckless

Love of God

When I was Your foe still Your love fought for me

You have been so so good to me

When I felt no worth You paid it all for me

You have been so so kind to me

There's no shadow You won't light up

Mountain You won't climb up

Coming after me

There's no wall You won't kick down

Lie You won't tear down

Coming after me

Caleb Culver | Cory Asbury | Ran Jackson

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

Bethel Music Publishing

Richmond Park Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

God? I’ve got this!

One of the funny stories in our family regards the emerging independence of my youngest daughter. When she was a toddler and we were getting ready to go out to play on a snowy day, we found her crying in frustration on the porch. She had her coat upside down and backwards, her feet in the hood as she attempted to put it on. When Bev attempted to help she famously insisted – “I can do it myself!”  Today she is a strong and capable woman who makes her Dad proud as she works to make this world a better place for us all.  She has done a remarkable job with life in all the years since then, albeit now with more understanding of creating teams and getting the work done together.

In my readings in Genesis I came to the story of Babel in the 11^th chapter. This was the declaration of the people. "Let’s build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies—a monument to our greatness! This will bring us together and keep us from scattering all over the world.” (Genesis 11:4, NLT) At first glance, one might wonder why the LORD responded as He did.  He frustrated their plans by confusing their language, breaking them apart.  The implied conclusion is that they not only wanted to make a city but were prideful, ready to dismiss God and His plans in favor of their own independence.

Let’s not race to the conclusion that God resists success and/or accomplishment.  He equips us with resources, blesses us with creativity, and rewards faithfulness. There is no sin in achievement!

The sin that often accompanies success is that of pride that dismisses Him. James warns of it, even among Christians. "What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful? He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:5-6, NLT) "Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15, NLT)

Are you telling the Lord that you can handle life on your own? Most likely none of us would do that in so many words, but what do our actions say? When we plan first and pray second, we are revealing pride. We can refuse the counsel of the Word and the guidance of the Spirit and still find temporary success, even gaining the approval and admiration of others. But, in the long run, we ignore God to our own peril.  Few things create a more fertile soil for arrogance than a little success. A subtle conceit can settle over us when we conclude that we are someone special, that we have done what others would not or could not do.

Beware a false humility that proclaims weakness even while fishing for approval! To demand that God somehow bless our apathy or failure to apply ourselves to His work even as we claim to be without spiritual gifts is an affront to Him.  He has called each of us to a place in His service, given us unique gifts to fulfill His calling. We are not all called to be highly visible leaders or given gifts that are used in a public platform, never the less, we are all critical to the function of His Body, the church.

Genuine humility is content in the Lord, knows the joy of submission, and rests on solid faith.  

Striving and Self die and a beauty of significance found in the service of the Lord emerges.

Here is a word from the Word. "And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you." (1 Peter 5:5-7, NLT)  Amen

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Build My Life

(As you listen, give your life to Him, the Builder)

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 besides 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 Elizabeth Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett

© 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew (Admin. by Arkyard Music Services Limited)

Kaple Music (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing)

Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

Let's Make Our Dad Glad

The man, who obviously loves his kids, pulled to the side of the highway, fed up with the bickering and fighting in the backseat of the car. What parent has not come to one of those exasperating moments when they wonder who these children are that they have brought on the earth? Of course, I can do a 55 year rewind of history and remember my own father stopping the car somewhere on the interstate highway as we made one of our long treks from New Jersey to Iowa.  When I saw him opening the back door of that Chevy station wagon … the fighting stopped. We knew Dad was not happy when he leaned in to set things right!

Genesis says that the sensuality and violence of humanity grew so terrible that God regretted having created the human race. "The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." (Genesis 6:5-8, NIV)  

How does an all-knowing God regret anything? He knew, in advance of Creation, what would happen on the earth.  What made God sorrowful was not His mistake. He does not make mistakes! It was humanity’s abuse of the gifts He gave them. God made us free, able to choose, and like any good parent, He is filled with sadness when we abuse our freedom choosing to sin against Him and one another. 

He is not a passive Parent that looks on, shrugs, and ignores our sin.  He acts, perfectly justly, to correct and to restore. In Genesis 6, He acted with judgment that should strike holy awe into our hearts, but let’s not forget He also acted with grace.  Noah found grace, redemptive favor, in God’s eyes. He was called to a faithful response of obedience.  When the Lord laid out His plan to destroy the world, He also extended a covenant of salvation which Noah received by faith. The Word tells us that "when warned about things not yet seen, (Noah) in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." (Hebrews 11:7, NIV)

Let’s make our Dad glad!  He has prepared a plan of salvation for us, offered through Christ Jesus, so that we need not fear His coming judgment. Oh yes, we do not hear much about God’s willingness to judge in our time, when pulpits are full only of sweet songs of divine love. There is not much ‘fear of the Lord’ in the land. But, He is not a passive, permissive Parent. He is a patient God, desiring that all of us come to repentance.  The day will come when He drops the curtain on history and calls all to account.  Will you stand with those who are ‘in Christ,’ having received the gift of life in Him?

Just as Noah’s faith moved him to obedience, I pray that my faith will cause me to desire to love Him, to serve Him, to trust Him. How about you?

Here is a word from the Word. As you meditate on it, may it be a call to become the delight of the Heavenly Father, one of His children who made Him glad.

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,

making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:15-20, NIV)

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Abba, thank You for Your enduring, amazing grace.

I pray that I will not abuse it, testing Your patience with willful disobedience.

Lead me, Father, to love that delights in Your will,

That finds me faithful to Your every direction and desire.

Thank You for giving me the promise of life in Christ,

For making me Your heir, a son of righteousness.

May I live a life that is worthy of that high calling,

And that reflects honor on You, I pray.

In Jesus’ holy Name.  Amen