Running The Race

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. - 1 Corinthians 9:24

Over the years we have been blessed to meet and serve with hundreds of Christians who share our passion for serving others. And though time and distance may separate us, I can talk with one of them voice or email and it is as if I had seen them yesterday. It is the Spirit of God that has bonded us together. 

As I was writing one on these BLOG posts I referenced a Brother, friend and mentor. Then I called him to tell him what I had done. We had not spoken for 5 or 6 years. I shared that "I have been wondering if our season for service has passed. Frankly I am not ready to “lay down the plow”, but have been asking “What next Lord?” I am not sure what the Lord has in mind for me in the days and years ahead – but I am pretty sure I am not done – but like Job I must say “the Lord gives and the Lord takes away – blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21) In the meanwhile I will keep my hand to the plow for God’s glory and others’ good."

He responded - "What next?  You’re doing it.  First thing Paul said after not forsaking getting together is to encourage each other….. At 90 and 87 we stay closer to home, but it is our intent to not to drop out of the race till we go home… Keep writing!"

My friend was telling me .... 

Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:7

I told him that his words made me think of a foot race. While I was in the Army I used to do that a lot – 5k’s 10k’ and 8 mile runs. There were always people who were faster and slower than me. But my goal was not to beat any of them but to finish well.  I was competing only against myself and my last run.  

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us - Hebrews 12:1

While I ran I would fix my eyes on something down the road and run to that and then refocus on the next thing.  until I saw the finish line – then I would pick up the pace because I wanted to have nothing left when I crossed the line.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. - Hebrews 12:2 

The hills were steep, my legs were tired, my breathing was labored - but I put one foot in front of the other - focused on the finish line. as I ran I saw more and more stopped or walking. This race we are in a spiritual one. It requires stamina that can only be found in Jesus and the power of the Spirit.

So how about friend? Are you in the stands cheering or are you suited up and ready to run the race that the Lord has signed you up for?

From my experience I can tell you that you better put a double knot in those shoestrings!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Choosing Something Bad And Expecting Something Good To Result

... by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. —Galatians 6:14

"Consecration, being dedicated to God’s service, is our part; sanctification, being set apart from sin and being made holy, is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested.” - Oswald Chambers

I have known a good number of Christians who have made tremendous errors in spiritual judgement.  Those errors have derailed their lives and brought grief and heartache … sometimes that lasts a lifetime.  And yet, they persist in continuing to make similar choices based upon their emotions … their desire to “fix the problem themselves or satisfy the need that seems to dominate their lives.  

Although they may sing “Jesus loves me this I know” … time and again they choose their own path and solutions over the path that God has laid out for them. (Proverbs 16:9) They quench the Spirit and listen to their flesh.  They ignore the Biblical counsel of their friends and family … and repeat the same mistakes that they have made in the past with, predictably, the same result. When I see this happening, my heart breaks because I know the joy they have rejected for the trouble that they will inevitably embrace as they meet the consequences of their choices.  

Does that sound dismal? That’s because it is.  God has called us out of that life.  But our faith must be more than a philosophy … a “get out of hell free” card.  The great gift we have came with a price .. Jesus on the cross .. yet even that is a distant thought when making life choices.  That truth is not enough to motivate us to choose God .. to follow the Spirit .. to sacrifice the flesh.

So why does that happen? For one reason, most of us do not separate ourselves from our old life.  It’s one thing to be in the world as a Christian.  It’s quite another to participate with the world.  To embrace what we know to be sin in an effort to secure the world’s substitute for God’s will and way.  Jesus prayed ...

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. - John 17:15-17

We are to be in the world but not of it— to be separated internally, not externally. The interesting thing is that although I might speak to the wayward Christian to encourage them to draw close to Jesus, only the Spirit of God can bring conviction to their hearts and only they can yield to that conviction and turn to God in repentance.  So what to do.  Well. Be an example.  Love them .. not their sin … like Jesus.  Pray for them.  And bear the hurt in your heart as you watch them struggle with the impossibility of the life they have chosen.  Jesus spoke to the problem … the Apostles wrote about the problem to the churches .. my point, it is not a new problem in our generation.  It is the age-old struggle between the flesh and the Spirit natures.  The nature that you feed is the one that will dominate. 

Today .. choose Jesus.  He is the Way and the Life and the Truth. (John 14:6) Stop doing what you know is wrong for you.  The only way you can do that is by the Spirit. “It’s not by might or by power but by the Spirit”(Zechariah 4:6) You must understand that “It’s not by MY might or by MY power but by HIS Spirit”.  You can do it!  With His help.  Do it today.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Your Devotion May Not Be Bad But It May Be Eternally Harmful

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”" —Luke 9:57-62

We listen to the words people say, but God sees the heart.  Jesus could see the hearts of the three men He responded to. The first needed assurance that he would have some place to come back to.  The second had greater commitment to the affairs of this world.  The third had greater affection for his family.  None of those things are inherently bad. But, if they keep you from Jesus, then they are eternally harmful. So many people still to cling to the natural in their yearning for the supernatural.  Like Lot’s wife. 

It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. - Luke 17:30-33; Genesis 19:26 

 
I have watched so many Christians turn to look back, like Lot's wife.  Perhaps some did not have true faith, like the parable of the seed (Matthew 13), I don’t know. But is saddens me to know what they are missing. When faced with an eternal choice, they chose poorly. 

Probably the greatest sadness is when it is someone in your family.  They act one way when you are around and quite another when you are not.  That behavior shouts of their spiritual ignorance. It is not me that they should be concerned with, but God who judges the heart and who is always present.  People, Christian or not, might hide their sinful ways from you or one another, but they cannot hide from God. The very thing they needed they turned away from to embrace an imitation.  Something that satisfied the flesh.

It is interesting that Jesus did not chase after them, but let them go their own way.  We can’t see the heart of man, so we continue to hope that one day, they will choose rightly and turn their hearts, once again, toward God.    

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Who Gets A Trophy For Finishing Last

Then [Jesus] came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked [His disciples], “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” But [His disciples] kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. - Mark 9:33-35

Perhaps the greatest challenge we have as Christians is avoiding the interpretation of spiritual truth through the lens of the natural world. In high school the students vote to declare the person in the class most likely to succeed. For the person who is the smartest. For the person who is most popular. Identifying people are the best in some category.

But Jesus said to be the best in the kingdom of God you must be a servant. Declaring everyone else as more important than yourself. You know the second greatest commandment. Jesus said of himself -  the Savior of the world - 

And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. - Matthew 20:27-28

Not only did Jesus model that life for us, but He called us to follow His example.

Then [Jesus] said to [the disciples], “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. - Luke 9:23-24

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her - Ephesians 5:20-22,25

The sinful nature was given birth through man's desire to be his own god. To make his personal well-being the thing of primary importance. But our admonitions from the Apostle John was and is ....

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. -  1 John 2:15-17

So who gets a trophy for finishing last? The children of God, that's who! And like the Apostle Paul we must press on to win the prize for which God has called us  

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13-14

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Two Essentials When You Hear God's Voice

 He went out, not knowing where he was going. —Hebrews 11:8

Oswald Chambers said “[as a Christian] One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, “What do you expect to do?” You don’t know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what HE is doing. Continually examine your attitude toward God to see if you are willing to “go out” in every area of your life, trusting in God entirely. 

Ok So what are the 5 W’s you might be wondering. In the Army there are two basic types of written orders – A warning order – which is a heads up that you are about to do something and a field order which gives the details. The warning order is composed of what is referred to as the 5 W’s. Who, what, when, where, and why. 

But the thing is, in my experience, God does not give you all of that information before He sends you out. 

There are a couple of essentials in “going out”.  The first essential is “knowing”.  Knowing what? Knowing that it is God and not your own idea of what you should do or want to do.  When God sends you, He goes with you.  It’s not like leaving your parents’ home.  You leave and they stay. 

You must be careful … if you go off on your own to do something that requires the power of God, but you are doing it on your own … you are in trouble from the start.  You can do nothing in the flesh that will please God. To know it is God speaking, your heart must be right with Him … your relationship must be solid … your devotion to Him consistent.  God examines the heart.  Why do you think He chose Abraham?  

The second is “leaving”.  Leaving what?  Paul wrote to the church in Phillipi …. 

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. -  Philippians 3:-13-14

If you are going to follow God then you must be prepared to abandon your earthly affections and trust God.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. - Hebrews 11:8-10

These men were willing to put their lives, their affections, their cultural preferences behind them in favor of following God.  Jesus said if you are going to follow Him … be His disciple … your love for even your own family must be subordinate to obedience to God’s voice and His will.  

I have heard many men say that their priorities are God, family, then ministry.  If I understand the Bible correctly .. ministry is doing God’s will .. it’s not a vocation … God may ask you to do something that requires not only your sacrifice, but your family’s as well.  That is a true test of higher devotion.  

I know people who think that doing comes before being.  The thinking is that if I immerse myself in the work of the ministry then I will be in the will of God.  That is a “works” mentality. But doing the will of God starts in the heart not in the hands.  Following God for Martie and me has meant that we have not been with our family for years at a time.  Do we trust God enough to believe that He is in control?  Even in the lives of those on this earth that we love the most?  If not, when He says go – you will say no … or maybe later.

Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead. – Matthew 8:21

So what is it that God has been saying to you?  Nothing?  Maybe you have not been listening ... or maybe you put your fingers in your ears because you don’t want to hear. Or maybe what the Lord asks of you is more than you are willing to sacrifice to the Lord.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

The Spirit Is Willing But The Flesh Is Weak

In Nehemiah 13, after Nehemiah had restored the walls in Jerusalem, the people of Israel, their practices and their places he returned to the King of Persia who had sent him to rebuild the walls. Then, while he was gone the people returned to the way they had been living before the walls were reestablished. 

The people had participated in the religious ceremonies organized by Nehemiah but that did not mean that they had yielded their hearts fully to God. When he was no longer there to influence them - they drifted back to the way they lived before. That is a bit like people of faith today. 

Then He [Jesus] came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. - Matthew 26:40-41

A good number of years ago I had considered starting a discipleship ministry called the Bent Tree ministry. I imagine that you have seen young saplings just after they had been planted. Some grow straight without support - but many lean over, one way or the other and if not supported will grow crooked. So the planters will use rope and stakes to hold the tree straight until its root system and fibers are realigned. That can take years of care. If the support is removed too soon the tree will want to return to its original position. 

I recall a story about Chuck Colson - you may not remember him - an American attorney and political advisor who served as Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1970. Once known as President Nixon's "hatchet man", Colson gained notoriety at the height of the Watergate scandal, for being named as one of the Watergate Seven and also for pleading guilty to obstruction of justice for attempting to defame Pentagon Papers defendant Daniel Ellsberg. In 1974, Colson served seven months in the federal Maxwell Prison in Alabama, as the first member of the Nixon administration to be incarcerated for Watergate-related charges. His mid-life religious conversion while in prison, sparked a radical life change that led to the founding of his non-profit ministry Prison Fellowship (From Wikipedia)

Chuck was talking to a man about the importance of discipleship. The man said that he didn't need other Christians that he could go it alone just fine. Chuck walked over to the fireplace - pulled out a glowing ember with the tongs and stared at the glowing ember, saying nothing. The ember grew fainter and fainter until the fire went out. Then Chuck said - "That is what happens to Christians who believe they can go it alone. We need the presence of other Christians to help keep the fire burning." 

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25

Staying connected to other Christians who have a hunger and heart for God is critical to your spiritual well-being.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Being The Light Even When It Hurts Someone's Eyes

If we fail to embrace the primacy of our new nature in our life then we will put the natural at the front of the line .. at the top of the stack of responses to life. 

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” -  Galatians 2:20 

 The life I now live in the body .. means the natural life has been usurped by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  How I respond to life should always be based on who I am in Christ.  Romans 12:2 says don’t be conformed to the natural but be transformed by the supernatural.  Loving God with all of you does not leave any room for the flesh and the natural.  Jesus said

 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” -   Luke 14:26-27 

That means that you must put the natural in its proper place and it cannot be ahead of Jesus and your new life.

Most people want to be in harmony with their family.  Sometimes our faith gets in the way of that natural harmony. Many people want the acceptance of their family more than anything.  If you are a Christian, that may not be possible if you are unwilling to compromise your faith.  Have you ever “tucked your faith in your pocket” when you are around certain people so as not to offend them?  If you have, you put the natural ahead of the supernatural.  You chose to deny your faith in favor of  acceptance from the world .. and that may include your family and friends.  You don’t have to be offensive, but you should also not be apologetic.  We are called to be salt and light.  Salt that has lost its saltiness …its ability to do what it was created to do … flavor and heal … is good for nothing and should be cast out to be trampled under men’s feet. (Matthew 5:13) That doesn’t sound good does it.

So .. we are looking at another Christmas … another reminder that God sent His Son so we might be saved from our sin.  The world is trying hard to erase that truth from this celebration and make it about money.  But ... you need to be salt and light – what you were created to be (2 Corinthians 5:17).   Have you ever been in a dark room and someone opened the curtains or turned the lights on.  Did it hurt your eyes?  That is what you do spiritually when you are around other people who are living in darkness.  Be the light!   

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Having More Of A Sincere Faith Than Most

Hananiah was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. - Nehemiah 7:2  

Reading in Nehemiah this morning I came across a phrase that "popped" out on the page. The Spirit's way of getting my attention I suppose. Nehemiah, as you know, was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He was near the point of securing the city and delegated responsibility for overseeing the managing of, what I will call, the municipal operations. He chose his brother and Hananiah. He picked Hananiah because the man had integrity and feared - or respected is a synonym for feared - God "more than most people do".

So that made me think about  - the first and second greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37-39) and the the story about the rich young ruler (Matthew 19). If you recall - the rich young ruler fulfilled the second commandment and staked his relationship with God and his eternal destination on it - but when challenged to sell everything he had and give it to the poor - he stumbled because he loved money more than God - and so he failed the first greatest commandment - loving God with your entire being. If you try to get to heaven by fulfilling the second commandment and not the first - it would be salvation by works and as you know - Ephesians 2 says it is by faith and not works lest anyone - like the rich young ruler - should boast.

So back to Hananiah. He was described as having integrity - the idea behind integrity is to be without flaw. That can describe a person who has moral integrity - or even a building that has structural integrity. You get the idea! So we might conclude that he was honest, loyal and trustworthy. Good traits for someone that you are going to delegate responsibility to. But there was also a spiritual component - he revered God more than most. I think that Nehemiah would have preferred to have someone that had 100% spiritual integrity - but had to settle for someone who "had more spiritual integrity than most". We don't know how much of his heart, soul, mind and strength were yielded to God - just that whatever the percentage was - it was more than most of the other people Nehemiah had to pick from. 

So what is the point. You may find someone who is an example of the second greatest commandment - with respect to their relationship and devotion to other people - but you will be hard pressed to find anyone who loves God the most - apart from Jesus. So long as we live in this sinful bodies we will struggle with our sinful nature. We might be in the "more than most" group - but our righteousness will always, only, be found in Jesus - not in us or by our effort. The best that can be said of any of us is that we feared - respected - God more than most. That like David - we had a repentant heart and a desire to please God.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Don't Lose Hope When Things Don’t Go Your Way

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. - Psalm 43:5

Have you ever been discouraged?  Of course you have.  Have you ever lost hope because life made a left turn when your thought you were going to the right?  It is the reality of living in a world that has rejected the One who created it.  A world that suffers under the burden of sin and the brokenness that sin brings.

I was talking with someone the other day.  They were sharing their concern for their child.  The child, who once had been “sold out” to Jesus, was now struggling with their faith.  Questioning their faith and God.  I would hazard a guess that most Christian parents know that concern. But it is not like pulling your child out of the street by the arm so they don’t get hit by a car.  When it comes to facing life and the struggle it brings, they must choose to get out of the street on their own.  You can certainly pray for them and should.  But no amount of talking (or nagging) will  coax them out of the street.  You must love them through their struggle of faith.

I told my friend that what we see is like looking at a picture.  A moment in time.  We should be careful that we don’t draw the wrong conclusions about their life.  I asked if they could remember a point in time when the child professed their faith in Jesus. “Yes” was the answer.  

I am an eternal security guy.  I believe that once your are adopted by faith into the family of God, nothing can change that.  I believe that being sealed by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) is a forever thing.  I believe that when Jesus said (John 10:28) “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”) That “no one” means no one, including the person who has been given eternal life. The person who was born again.

I told my friend that they needed to trust God and believe His Word is truth.  (Oh, did that sound like Proverbs 3:5-6?) That the certainty of salvation applies to their child even when they see the child wandering into the street – not embracing their faith.  Struggling to understand why what happened to them, happened to them.  Is God really there? Does their faith really matter?  

Don’t draw the wrong conclusion from that photo. God sees from beginning to end. We only see what is now and what we can see in the photo album representing their life in the past. God is sovereign.  He’s got this.  

 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for.  The evidence of things not seen.”  - Hebrews 11:1 

So I encouraged my friend and I encourage you, friends, with this.  

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7  

I just listened to a sermon by the pastor of the church we attend. He said that when we are facing problems in life we can count on the presence of God. The promises of God. And the provision of God.

That there are 5 things that we can know are true in the midst of our problems.

1. God is greater than my problem.

2. God is not limited by my problem, even though I might be.

3. God is with me in the midst of my problems

4. God will carry me through my problems

5. During the waiting for His provision God will sustain me, strengthen me, and satisfy me.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Living By Faith Is Confounding To The World But Profound To The Body Of Christ

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death ...”  - Philippians 3:8-11

I was working on a home during the Hurricane Harvey home some time ago, when the man from the Gas Company came to turn the gas on.  I was working by myself, as I do on occasion, and he asked me where my help was.  I told him that I was working alone that day and that was a segue for me to talk about Pathfinder Mission and God’s call to serve others.  He was intrigued and asked more questions.  I could tell by his expression and language that he was a Believer.  Don’t know if you have experienced it, but the Spirit resonates between Believers.  The spiritual connection is obvious but is unspoken and super-natural. He commented on the good thing we are doing and left by saying “God bless you in your work.” 

Listen – we are not to revel in difficult situations that we find ourselves in – but I was reminded that our light will shine brightly when we walk through difficult situations by faith. I was sitting in our travel trailer not long after listening to the Blue Angels roar over me – over and over again as they prepared for the air show the next weekend.  Frankly I yearned for quiet. Fortunately we have a friend here who opened her home to us – when we need it – and Martie and I reveled in the quiet of her home last night.  But … there I was the next morning, writing a devotion and preparing for another day of restoration – this time with a good friend to help me.  

Martie and I have lived like we do by choice for the past 20 years.  What we do for others is important, but we could choose to do something else .. to live somewhere else.  To not listen to jets buzzing our trailer or living apart from our family. But this is the thing – we are compelled by God’s call to serve others.  That means we must be willing to abandon what many consider a lifestyle that is vital to their wellbeing.  

That is true for every Christian.  But what that looks like in each person’s life may be different.  We are not wearing animal skins and eating locusts and honey, but in the view of many Americans we are not far from it.  The point today is that I want to encourage you to make your faith the thing that shapes your life and your desires.  One of our life verses is Psalm 37:4 

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  

That verse does not mean that God is some divine waiter – but when you make Him your first priority, He will change your heart and when He does that – what you want and think you need will also change. Sitting in a travel trailer might not be so bad if  He is all you need.  

I recall having a conversation with an unbelieving friend in Waveland, Mississippi in 2010. We had been doing disaster recovery work for the past 5 years in Waveland when God called us to Haiti. Our friend had been to Haiti -  we had not - and when I told him we were going there he looked me in the eyes and said "Are you crazy!" knowing how difficult it would be. To which I responded - "It wasn't our idea, it's God's!" That was not false bravado but trust that where God guides, God provides.

A pastor in a church in Manhattan Kansas said - for most of us we don't realize that Jesus is all we need until Jesus is all we have! And so, Martie and I stand in agreement with Paul when he wrote .... 

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” - Philippians 4:11-13

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Why Do You Do What You Do?

Jesus said to him [the lawyer], “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." - Matthew 22:37

The danger when we pray to God or think about God is that we can develop the same mindset that we have when we make an on-line order.

Oh - I need this or that - maybe I am hungry so I will order something to be delivered. Or I need a shirt so I will sign on to my Amazon account and order it. I can have it in two or three days and today or tomorrow if I am will to pay a little more or buy a little more! Then I will go on about my business and not give a thought to that restaurant or Amazon until I have another need. In the same way in Zechariah, God questioned the motives of the people of Israel when they sought Him out.

When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? - Zechariah 7:5-6

Yeah - those unfaithful, ungrateful people right? - God's chosen uh huh! - they praised God with their lips but their hearts were far from Him. They only thought of themselves. And after all He did for them!

That was around 500 BC. So let's fast forward to about 44AD. Maybe people changed .... 

You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. - James 4:2-3

Hmm - James wrote about same problem almost 600 years later. Still self focused. Still unfaithful and ungrateful!

Guess what - fast forward to today - 2000 years later. We struggle with the same problems. We can see the heart of the sinner does not change from generation to generation. Left on its own, it is self absorbed - looking out for number 1 - numero uno. Even after we are born again -  we are prone to wander - Lord I feel it - prone to leave the God I love!

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9

But if we will love God with  all our hearts, souls, minds (excluded from Deuteronomy 6), and strength (included in Mark 20, Luke 10, and Deuteronomy 6) that will leave no room for self absorption. 

Oh to be like David who sought God with his whole heart. 1 Samuel 13:14 

Listen - we must be mindful that since we are the beneficiaries of God's grace and we are saved by faith and not of our own works, it is so easy to shift focus on the gift and away from the Giver. We become anxious in the face of the issues of this life and want relief with little regard for the One giving it. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Don't Forget To Say The Magic Words When You Pray

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. - John 16:23

“What are the magic words?” Have you ever asked that of your children expecting them to respond with “please” and "thank you"?  That is how we very often treat the phrase “in Jesus name.”  Our attitude is not that our asking is consistent with the Father’s will, but that if we ask for things and “tack” – in Jesus name – on the end it somehow makes our request irresistible to the Father. 

I’m concerned that we don’t give enough consideration to even our personal, spiritual condition when we ask.  As if it does not matter – hey! I said PLEASE!  When we say “in Jesus name” it should be a reminder to us that the only reason the Father hears us is because of Jesus.  So it more of an acknowledgement then a guarantee of a positive answer to our prayer.  James wrote 

You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. - James 4:2-3

Much of our time in prayer has to do with physical and relational issues, not spiritual.  What do you imagine that Jesus prayed about?  I think it was about His relationship with His Father.  Intimate conversations. In Philippians 4, Paul makes it clear that we are to “be anxious for nothing but in everything let our requests be made known to God”. Peter wrote that we are to “cast all our cares on Him” (1 Peter 5:7).  But the assumption is that the context is our desire to be one with Jesus even as He is one with the Father.  

I do not pray for these [those who believed Jesus was the Messiah while He was on Earth] alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. - John 17:20-23

We pray in Jesus' name because it is only because of His sacrifice that we can approach God the Father. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Living By Faith And Not By Flesh

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20 

One of the greatest challenges that Christians face is living by faith and not by flesh.  The reason, I think, is because, typically, we don’t respect God and His place in our new life or acknowledge that our life is not our own.  We fail to fully yield our lives to God.  We talk a good game, but we decide, for ourselves, how much of our lives we will yield to God.  It might be possessions, relationships, attitudes, devotions, even past hurts that we choose cling to.  I sometimes wonder why God would tolerate it.  

Have you ever had a defiant child who would not listen?  Perhaps you were one! A child who defiantly chose that which was harmful or hurtful in place of what was right and good?  They were going to do things their way, no matter what.  Why would God permit us, those who claim Jesus as Lord, to act like defiant children in light of His Son’s great sacrifice for our salvation. Why God would extend His grace and mercy, the grace and mercy that covers our sin and opens the doors of eternity in heaven up to us, is beyond my comprehension. 

I have said this before, but everything in our lives has a spiritual context. 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:12

We try to parse our lives out into the natural and spiritual, as if they can peacefully coexist. But life is not really like that at all. The natural and spiritual are incompatible with one another and diametrically opposed to one another.  

As a Christian, it is important that you see everything in its spiritual context.  Before your new birth, it was impossible.  Jesus said “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

 In other words, the people only had a natural understanding.  Spiritual insight can be gained only by being born again by the Spirit.  When that happens, there will be a change … transformation … old things passing away .. all things becoming new in the context of your new life in Christ. I was blind but now I see! The light of Christ will begin to shine through you.  God will be glorified and the Gospel will be proclaimed to a world darkened by sin.  But you have to let that happen .. desire it .. embrace it even though your flesh will resist.  

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Where Is Jesus? Putting Things In The Right Order And The Right Place

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? - 1 Corinthians 3:16

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? - 1 Corinthians 6:19

I was listening to a sermon the other day when the pastor made reference to Jesus being in the Believer's heart in the form of the Spirit. I had to think about that for a minute - well less than a minute - because it was not exactly accurate. 

It is important that we have a clear understanding of our new nature. How did we get from where we were to where we are. So please indulge me while we walk through it.

First we were born sinners and need a Savior

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23

Having been born into a natural, sinful life we needed to be born again spiritually.

Jesus answered and said to him [Nicodemus], “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. - John 3:3-6

And how are we born again - saved from the penalty of our sins in our natural life?

if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. - Romans 10:9-10

We are born again when we put our faith in Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:8-10

And how do we come to that realization? When it is revealed to us by God the Father.

He [Jesus] said to them [the disciples], “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 16:15-17

And what happens when we believe and confess?

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. - Ephesians 1:13-14

We were sealed by the Spirit of God - who dwells in each Believer. (1 Corinthians 3:16) Born again by the Spirit.

And where is Jesus. In Heaven

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” - John 14:2-4

What is He doing?

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, - Hebrews 3:1

We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, - Hebrews 8:1 

Is Jesus in our hearts? No. We are indwelt by the Spirit of God. But one day Jesus will return for His Bride - the Church. When will that be?

Now as He [Jesus] sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” ... “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. - Matthew 24:3,36-37

Only the Father knows.

As I was sorting through this I was reminded of a song we taught our children when they were very small.

I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, Down in my heart, (where?) Down in my heart, (where?) Down in my heart!

I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, Down in my heart, (where?) Down in my heart to stay!

And I'm so happy, so very happy I have the love of Jesus in my heart. And I'm so happy, so very happy, I have the love of Jesus in my heart!

So to be clear. When we are born again by the Spirit by faith, we do not ask Jesus into our hearts but we do believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead which is a revelation from God the Father. We are made alive spiritually by faith in Jesus and the indwelling of the Spirit of God. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are, all three, involved in our new birth. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Living With Spiritual Discernment

And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” - Luke 8:45-46

A woman with a flow of blood for twelve years had spent all her money on physicians and could not be healed by any of them. She came from behind and touched the border of Jesus' garment. And immediately she was healed.

I don't know how many times I have read those passages.  Of all of the people pressing to get a glimpse of Jesus, only one had the faith to believe in Him. I am certain that you have moved through a big crowd of people. Brushing past people that you don't know and don't even look at. That was happening to Jesus. 

Peter was looking at the crowd through the eyes of man - Jesus was looking at the hearts of those around Him. He sensed the spiritual encounter with the woman. 

As we go about our business each day - we pass by many people. Most are not interested in knowing Jesus the Messiah. They don't want to know Jesus - they are OK with just knowing about Jesus. But there are the few who will enter through the narrow gate. 

We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. - 2 Corinthians 5:20

That does not mean that we are all evangelists 

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers - Ephesians 4:11

But we are all ambassadors and are speak to others on Christ's behalf. 

I woke up this morning having just had a dream. In the dream, I was talking with a young woman about this very matter and asked how she might engage someone in conversation. To with she replied "Hello, how are you doing?" To which I said - you are asking the wrong question. That is an open ended question - to which I could answer - "How am I doing with what?" Or with a flippant "I am blessed" or "I'm good." They figure you really care to know you are just being polite and/or they really don't want to say.

Dr. John Maxwell once said that "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." 

The point of the dream, I think, was that I need spiritual discernment to see beyond someone's words to the person's heart - like Jesus did. And I need to be ready and willing.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear - 1 Peter 3:15

The Lord will give you opportunity when you least expect it

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

What God's Peace Is And What It Is Not

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled… —John 14:27

What is your expectation of God with respect to your faith and everyday living?  Do you think that God is obligated to make certain that you do not ever have to endure hardship?  That nothing “bad” will happen to you or the ones you love because you are a Christian?  No injury, no heartbreak, no death, no failure, no loss?  

Well, that is a problem.  The Bible does not promise that … God’s theme song might be “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden!” In fact Jesus said 

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 

Our peace is in Jesus – supernatural peace … peace within in spite of the circumstances you find yourself in while you live out your life this world ... a world full of sinners.  Peace is a fruit of the Spirit ... a capacity to respond to life in spite of your circumstances … Because of you have a new nature - a spiritual nature and perspective you see life, as it happens, differently. 

Of course you want to avoid experiencing anything unpleasant and perhaps was hoping that your rebirth would provide that for you.  Sorry!  But that does not mean that you can’t experience joy while your feet are still planted on terra firma.  Joy is another fruit of the Spirit.  Are you hoping the world will somehow get better over time?  Not going to happen.  Sin begets sin.  Hurt people hurt people.  The answer to dealing with the trouble of this life is Jesus.  He is the Hope of Heaven.  James wrote

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. - James 1:2-4

Look!  All of us have experienced and are experiencing difficulties in this life.  Soon we will be celebrating Christmas which is a reminder that God showed His grace and mercy by sending a Redeemer – Jesus. And then He sent a Spiritual Helper – the Holy Spirit. And through Jesus, He established the Church.  Let your light shine in the midst of this "unreasonable" facsimile of the celebration of the incarnation of the Savior of the world.  The world wants to snuff out your candle.  To replace Jesus with its god – money. Let your light burn brightly.  Let people know that our Redeemer lives! He is Jesus the King.  He is the Christ.  The Son of God.  Who takes away the sins of the world.  Shout hallelujah! And thank God for His wonderful gift … (Ephesians 2:8-9) “…You have been saved by faith … it is a gift from God”

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

It Is God And Not Our Culture Who Defines Our Belief In Right and Good

If we walk in the light as He is in the light…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. —1 John 1:7

Does the fact that you continue to sin concern you?  Even a little bit?  Or have you become content with being a marginal Christian. Are you accommodating sin in your life because, well frankly, you like it. Or maybe the reason is you feel you can't resist it.  If you love your culture.  If you embrace what it offers or promotes as truth and right, even though the Word of God says it is a lie and wrong, then that is exactly where you are.  

Listen, freedom from sin is not freedom to sin.  It is really not OK.  The problem is, so many “Christians” are in love with the world and the things of the world, that if you look at other Christians and not Jesus, you can find justification for what you do and don’t do very easily.  We are NOT to love our neighbor and then love for God will result. It is the other way around.  Love God and then you will love others because of our love for God and His love for us.  (1 John 4:19) 

Since Christmas celebration is a little over a month away, let's use it as an example.  Churches try to accommodate people by not having a service on Christmas morning. Why? So people can be at home and focus on gift giving.  Don’t ask them to come to church instead … the preacher may be preaching to empty pews. Even though we may say “Jesus is the reason for the season” we don’t want Him to get in the way of our revelry.

No, I am not descended from Ebenezer Scrooge!  I want you to think about where your heart is and where your priorities are. Loving God and not loving the world is not an option, it’s a command.  Your devotion to your family is a good thing but not when it trumps your devotion to God. Would you consider going into debt to give to God?  Would you think about how your tax return will pay for the tithe you put on your credit card? No? Yet you will do that for your family.  Often buying them gifts they don’t need … why?  God sent His Son as a gift to save us from the world and our sin.  Think about it. We over indulge ourselves in the things of the world and then give God an hour to sing Christmas carols.

I type what the Lord puts on my heart at the moment. You might be thinking “he is not talking about me!”  If not .. praise the Lord, but be watchful … the temptation is all around you.  The bottom line …… Each of us should examine our hearts. Child of God …. I am encouraging you to let the light of Christ shine  (Matthew 5:16) .. first in your home and then in the world.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Spiritual Leadership - It May Not Be What You Think It Is

For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. -  Ephesians 5:23

The Bible gives spiritual instruction with respect to how mankind is to relate to God, his creation, and other people. Man to man. Woman to man. Woman to Woman. Child to Parent. Parent to Child. Husband to wife. Wife to husband. Although spiritual, those relationship principles can be applied in the natural realm. But cannot be accomplished as God intended apart from the presence of the Spirit of God.

Quite often people will take something out of context, like "the husband is head of the wife" to establish that the husband has the final say in a marriage relationship, suggesting that the wife had no say in the decisions, leaving off the rest of the verse that speaks to being like Jesus and sacrificing himself for the good of the wife. They twist the scripture to their natural - carnal advantage. And so, being a Christian, they can hide their carnality behind the scripture they have pulled out of context to justify their behavior.  Demonstrating that they .... 

[have] a form of godliness but [deny] its power. And from such people turn away! - 2 Timothy 3:5

You may or may not be familiar with the story in 1 Kings 12 about Rehoboam -Solomon's son and heir to the throne after Solomon's death. The tribes cam to him asking that he show kindness toward them since Solomon's hand had been heavy. We will pick the story up at that point ......  

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?” And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, So Israel departed to their tents.  But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah. - 1 Kings 12:1-20 

And so the kingdom was divided. The point is that be it a king or a husband, each has been called to be a servant. 

Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. - Matthew 20:26-28

We would say in the Army that you cannot be a good leader if you are not a good follower. With a farmer - does the land serve him or does he serve the land? That answer is "YES".

With leadership comes authority - certainly - but also responsibility and accountability and service.

Anything less is abuse and contrary to God's intent. Or said more simply - it is sin.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

A Picture Of A Biblical Marriage - The Gift of the Magi

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. -  John 15:13

[Jesus said] You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. - Matthew 22:37-40

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13

So you probably picked up on the fact that this post is about Love. To be explicit, spiritually enabled love. And more specifically, I am writing about the love between an equally yoked husband and a wife. 

What it means to be equally yoked is a devotion for another time .... but suffice it to say the Word of God is clear as to God's intent and design.

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? - 2 Corinthians 6:14

For the purpose of this devotion let's consider a marriage between a Christian Husband and a Christian Wife.

I don't know if you are familiar with the short story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. It pretty much summarizes the attitude that a husband and wife should have for each other.

The Gift of the Magi is a story about a young couple, Della and Jim, who are deeply in love but financially struggling. On Christmas Eve, Della sells her long hair to buy a platinum chain for Jim's watch, while Jim sells his watch to buy Della a set of combs for her hair, illustrating the theme of selfless love and sacrifice.

You see, Della was focused on the needs of her husband - Jim.  And not her own. While Jim was focused on Della's needs. And not his own. Jim did not suggest that Della cut her hair so he could buy himself a watch chain. Della did not demand that Jim sell his watch so she could buy herself some combs for her hair. They each were willing to sacrifice what they wanted to meet the needs of their spouse.

In a weakened marriage, where things go wrong in the marriage, is when one or both focus on their own needs and not the other's needs. Demanding that their needs be met. The strength in a marriage comes from the love the husband and wife have for each other. Each one loving their spouse more than they love themselves. 

Begin focused on the other person is called having a symbiotic relationship. A relationship designed and intended by God.

In that context, perhaps you will understand Ephesians 5:25 in a different light.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her - Ephesians 5:25

To what extent did Jesus love the church? Right - He sacrificed Himself for her. My wife should be the most important person on this planet to me, and she is, and I should be the most important person on this planet to her.

If Ephesians 5:25 is about the husband, what about the wife?  I heard someone say that the Bible does not say directly that wives are to love their husbands. While that is true, the Bible does indirectly say it in the verses I opened this post with. What's more, the Bible does say directly that wives are to submit to the husband's spiritual authority in the relationship. 

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. - Ephesians 5:22

and they are to respect the husbands spiritual position and God-given responsibility in the family. 

Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. - Ephesians 5:33

Willful submission requires love and trust. 

I have said many times before - trust is a hard thing to gain - and an easy thing to lose.

If you are familiar with the movie Rocky - this is how Rocky described the symbiotic relationship between a husband and a wife.

Paulie: What's the story? What's happenin'? Ya really like her? Rocky: Sure, I like her. Paulie: I don't see it. What's the attraction? Rocky: I don't know. Fills gaps, I guess. Paulie: What's 'gaps'? Rocky: I dunno, gaps. She's got gaps, I got gaps. Together, we fill gaps. 

My wife is strong where I am weak - and I am strong where she is weak. We fill each other's gaps!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Willing To Fulfill The Call Of God In Your Life

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" —Isaiah 6:8

When you think of someone being called by God .. hearing God’s voice … do you think of Isaiah, Moses, Abraham, Paul? Do you ever think of yourself as being among that group?  I would guess probably not.  It would be like a duffer in golf comparing themselves to Tiger Woods.  Not even in the same class.  Perhaps, but in the case of God’s call, your thinking would be wrong. Way wrong.  Don’t confuse your role in the mission with your calling.  God gives us different things to do, some seem small compared to others, but God decides that, not us.  

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:30-31 

What do you say in response?  “Oh, I could never be like : (fill in the blank)”  We are all being conformed into the image of Jesus. We are called into new life.  We have a common mission but diverse roles in that mission.

Our problem is making that Truth important in our every-day lives. Do you live each moment with an awareness that you are called by God?  Not for the sake of pride but are you living in awe of what God has done in you by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God has given you a place of ministry in the place where you are right now.  The question is, will you be found faithful or will you focus on living life on this planet .. doing the best you can to get along with your new nature running in the background.  My point, as Christians, we have been called to so much more than that.  And you don’t have to travel to a foreign land to experience it.  

“For we [YOU] are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us [YOU] to do.”  - Ephesians 2:10

We all must accept that truth and live in it by faith, just like Isaiah, Moses, Abraham, and Paul.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Loving God More Must Be More Than A "Want"

…being justified freely by His grace… —Romans 3:24

Recently Martie, my wife, asked me what I was thinking about that I would write in this BLOG.  I told her that I really didn’t do it that way.  I would read a devotion, the Word of God, or very often, there will be some event – interaction from the previous day that the Lord uses as a launching point for what I write about. And then I ask the Lord, what am I supposed to say today.  And “out it comes”. So in that regard what I write is not premeditated as such, but more spontaneous … although that is not to say that there are not years of life that undergird what I write.  I’ve done this over 3400 times so far, plus this one …. Frankly I am amazed by the process and perhaps more amazed that God is using me in this way.

My goal is to encourage someone -  anyone - in their faith - just one someone is sufficient to justify the time and effort.

So to the point. As Christians we live our lives on this earth with a tension between the spiritual and the natural.  The preaching of the earthly health and wealth gospel … God wants you to be rich and healthy … is the carnal Christian's attempt to resolve that tension.  The idea is that God will give you money .. which He tells you not to love … and health .. which He tells you that you will face affliction and hardship of many kinds … and so … you can really be independent of God .. all of your earthly needs will be met … do you see the heresy in this thinking and living? 

God wants us to give up our dependence upon earthly comforts and assurances and trust Him, alone.  When Job lost everything, the assumption was that he had done something wrong .. why?  Because he lost his earthly possessions. What was the truth .. there was something spiritual at work that superseded the natural.  The same is true in our lives.  The thing is, you must be willing to submit to that … to yield your devotion and dependence upon the natural and trust God's provision.  What do you hunger for? I hesitative to say lust after - but that is what I meant by "hunger for".

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. - 1 John 2:15-17

 I see people struggling after disasters and war and poverty, while Americans are trying to figure out if they should go ahead and buy that $1000 iPhone and get rid of their $700 iPhone.  The Church in the United States is the “frog in the pot” with respect to materialism. We don’t know that we are being cooked … instead, we think the water temperature is just right.

“You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” - James 4:2-4

Ugh! That does not leave a lot of wiggle room does it. I guess I should quote Jesus to bring this to a close.  

And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear - Matthew 13:14-16

 .....  And I would add .. He who is convicted – let him repent.”  

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Doing Our Part

And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? So I answered, O Lord God, You know.  Again He said to me,  Prophesy to these bones, and say to them,  O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones:  Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.  10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. .... I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live - Ezekiel 37: 2-10,14

Have you ever known someone that you thought was beyond salvation. Their past and their present showed their depravity. They were like the dead bones in the field - beyond hope. But that is because you - and I  - were looking at them through the eyes of man. The fact is that we had judged them and condemned them as perhaps not worthy of salvation.

And the Lord said to me, Son of man, can [that man] live? So I answered, O Lord God, You know.

God knows all things, from beginning to end. We don't. People may have said of me when I was in a drunken stupor ( a result of PTSD from Vietnam) - that man could never be one of God's children - and yet - here I am. I have a good friend - George Beardsley, Sr whom I met in Mississippi during the Hurricane Katrina recovery. I would be considering  some issue and say to George - "George, what do you think?" and every time George would say - Jesus Saves! You think I would have learned.

All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all. - Isaiah 53:6

We need to be careful that we don't look at life and others in the context of our human limitations. God, our father - the Creator - is not limited by anything.

But Jesus looked at them and said, With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible. - Mark 10:27

Our part is not to judge but to testify about God's grace and mercy demonstrated through His Son on the cross by the way we live and the way we love.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Don't Be Content With A Form of Godliness

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - John 3:14-18

There is a consequence for rejecting God - eternal separation - God takes no pleasure in that. His desire is that all should be saved. We are all familiar with John 3:16, but I thought it would be good to read the verse in context.  

Reading in Ezekiel, you can see the heart of God in Old Testament times just is it is expressed in the New Testament.

Ezekiel 33

“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?” ’ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

<We must be a lights and witnesses to the way of salvation through Jesus- the only Way>

 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ 

When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. 

<Being good is not good enough. >

Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

<The proof of saving faith is repentance> 

“Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.” - Ezekiel 33:7-20

<When the wicked repent they are forgiven and they will be given life.>

“As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’  

So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. 

 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” - Ezekiel 33:30-33

<It is not enough to hear the Word, we must be doers of the Word.>

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. - James 1:21-22

 <It is not about the words we say but the condition of our hearts that makes the difference. >

Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, - Isaiah 29:13

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

The Fight Of Faith

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. -  Ephesians 6:12

Do you struggle with temptation? Do you understand that it is not a struggle of your will or won't but it is a spiritual struggle that manifests itself in the physical, mental, and emotion - the events of the natural life we live. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

You are probably familiar with these verses and would tell me - yes you agree with them. But do you understand the implications?

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. - John 3:3-6

Child of God - you may look like your unsaved friends. You may work in the same place. Like the same sports or recreational activities. But you are as different from them as the sun is from the moon. While the moon has an orbit it only reflects the light from the sun. It is like a dead planet - but the sun has the source of light within. Because of the Spirit in you, you have a spiritual nature - which means that everything has a spiritual context. 

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? - 1 Corinthians 6:19

How you live your life in response to life's events on this planet after you are born again is a function of your spiritual health. Your spiritual health is dependent upon the practice of spiritual disciplines in your life. Prayer, reading the Word of God, staying connected to other likeminded Christians. I say like-minded because if the Christians you hang with have a small faith - are immature - then don't expect to get a lot of help from them. When I played individual sports - golf, racket ball, tennis, squash - even distance running - I always picked an opponent that was more skilled than I was so I would be challenged and strengthened. Besting my opponent was not my goal - besting myself was.

If all of this seems to be extreme - over the top to you then that is part of the problem - because it isn't either one. 

[You] have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]; and the life which [you] now live in the flesh [you] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [you] and gave Himself for [you]. - Galatians 2:20

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Significance Of The Sabbaths

Before I get into this I want to clarify my goal whether I am speaking to you through a BLOG or a Podcast. My goal is to provoke you to think about how you are living your life as a Christian. To consider your calling to leave the world behind and pursue God. To make your relationship with God the priority in your life - and not just a slogan on the wall or on the screen at church. For the next few minutes I will be addressing the Sabbath and what I believe our attitude should be with respect to honoring it. What we do with respect to the Sabbath is a spiritual act - a heart commitment and not just one more thing that you add to your calendar of events. 

What is our level of commitment to God supposed to be? Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. Matthew 22:37

When I was in the Army Flight school one of my instructor pilots on the UH-1 would tell us what he called little known but interesting facts. 

The Sabbath is not just for the Jewish community or legalistic Christians

First a review – which is telling you something you should already know. The Sabbath, (from the Hebrew word shabbat, meaning to “cease,” or “desist”), is a day of holiness and rest observed by people of the Jewish faith from sunset on Friday to nightfall of the following day. That time division follows the biblical story of creation: “And there was evening and there was morning, one day” (Genesis 1:5).  The majority of other Christian denominations recognize Sunday - the day that Jesus was resurrected - as the Sabbath, as the Biblical day of rest under the New Covenant - kind of..... 

I am currently reading in the Book of Ezekiel, which is what got me thinking about how I observe the Sabbath. God is speaking through Ezekiel, His prophet to the Elders and nation of Israel. 

“But I [Jehovah God] said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ “Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Ezekiel 20:18-21

Observing the Sabbath has spiritual significance. God said - It ... "will be a sign between Me [God] and you [His children], that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

So we observe the Sabbath to remember God. 

So what does "observe" mean?

There is a spectrum of responses to that question. On the extreme end - 

When I was a child many states, counties and cities enforced what were known as Blue Laws. A Blue law is designed to prohibit or limit the transaction of commercial business or the holding of recreational activities on Sundays – the Christian Sabbath. In some states that included purchasing anything that could be used for work - such as a hammer or nails. They also included prohibiting the sale of alcohol and not allowing certain businesses to operate on Sundays. Blue Laws are still in effect today in some places.

At the other end of the spectrum is limiting your observation to attending a Church service - every Sunday is good but attending now and again satisfies the intent.

Recently I was driving past a municipal ball park complex one Sunday morning and noticed that the parking lots were full and the fields were "bee hives" of activity. I don't think that the focus of the adults who had brought their children to play softball was so they could honor and remember God. 

It was not that long ago that such activities were not scheduled on Sunday - intentionally. But like most things - The Christian frog was in the cultural pot and the water was getting hotter. It was not long that parents were choosing to forgo church so their children could play sports - baseball, softball, soccer. 

If I were to take a survey I suspect I would find that most Christians will say that Sunday is the day you go to church - or if you don't feel like going to be with other Christians then stream it into your home - I mean streaming the service is almost the same thing as attending right? Uh - no it isn't the same thing! Not if you are physically able to attend church in person it is the best alternative.

Hebrews 10:24-25 says “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

OK - but after church - the rest of the day is for me right? - I can give God a couple of hours in the morning. Seems reasonable 

Isaiah 29:13

Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me

Many of the "more enlightened" will say that you are being legalistic if you promote the idea of respecting the Sabbath in such an "extreme" way. The idea of dedicating one day out of seven and giving God the whole day seems foreign and extreme. 

Let me make it clear what I am saying here. I am not saying that we should be sitting in a pew all day. I am saying that we should devote the day to the Lord and our rest from the world. I remember when I was a child that Sunday afternoons were dedicated to visiting friends and family. Having Sunday dinner in someone's home. Disengaged from the culture and external activities.  Coming up for a breath of Spiritual air if you will. 

If you were to choose to do anything on the Sabbath, apart from attending church perhaps a good way to decide would be asking the question, "Does what I intend to do honor God?"  

- Philippians 3:18-20

For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ 

Observing the Sabbath "will be a sign between God and His children, that they may know that He is the Lord their God.

Would it be too radical to say that I worship God at church and am tempted to worship my culture at home? I know people whose days are slam full of activities and there is literally no discretionary time that they can offer to God. 

Should not our home be a place where God is honored and remembered all the time? As Gandalf said to the Balrog - a fiery demon in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring" - You Shall Not Pass!, so should we say to the culture's intervention into our homes - particularly on the Sabbath day of rest.

The day we said "Jesus is Lord and God the Father raised Him from the dead" - the day we were born again - our allegiance and hearts were surrendered to God. And on that same day - at that same moment  - the world began to chip away at that new devotion in our hearts to push God aside and put self in its place.

I want to encourage you to ...... 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone 

Facing Life With The Power And With The Presence Of God

 I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. —1 Corinthians 9:22

A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. Never protest by saying, “If only I were somewhere else!” All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them. - Oswald Chambers

“Have Thine own way Lord, have Thine own way.  You are the Potter and I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.” 

Oh how I love the old worship songs.  I often wonder what was going on in the life of the person that penned the lyrics.  Are you ready for God to do what He purposed to do in your life?  To let God have His way in your life? Do you trust Him enough to yield your life to Him, wherever that leads you? Paul wrote to the Corinthians, 

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. - 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

He was speaking to how fragile we are on our own. Oh, but what is in the “jar” is able to meet whatever comes our way.  Whether it is our calling or our circumstance, we are able to stand because of the power and presence of God.  

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:31

Listen, we are all going to face trouble – challenges – trials – add any label you like.  The call to our purpose will always require more strength and ability than we have on our own. Our feet must be planted firmly on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ.  We have an eternal destiny, what we need to maintain is our eternal perspective.   

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:38-39

Meditate on that this morning.  In light of your present circumstances, your past, or what might be looming in your future … you have Jehovah God on your side.  You are in the palm of His hand.  Be encouraged … don’t be downcast .. put your hope in God! Bondye Fidel (Haitian Creole) – God is Faithful!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone