What Does God Have To Do With It?

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" - Ephesians 3:20-21

We are living in our RV on the back side of a church's property, next to a Boy Scout meeting place. The other day I noticed one of the Scout Leaders working on a scout cargo trailer. He walked over and asked to borrow a ladder. Then he asked about the portable sheds we are building. And then he asked how we paid for the sheds adding the phrase, "Besides God I mean."

Besides God. As if it was people who really provided the money. Well, that is true that God uses people to help us but that is not the whole story. Money, unfortunately is the grease on the wheels of ministry. A necessary evil if you will. When it comes to seeking funds, my brother, Don, told me that I should ask God to provide and tell people what God is doing through us. And that is what I do. I believe that it is the Spirit of God that prompts people to support this work. A missionary couple, Edwin and Ruth Messerschmidt, once told us that where God guides He provides.

God is the source of all things. Be careful not to trivialize His role in meeting the needs to accomplish what He has called you to. You see, God never asks you to do something that you can do on your own. You always need the power of God to accomplish it. In the same way, do not minimize God's role in making provision for your life. Thinking that your well being is because of what you have done. You are because of God's providence. The idea of a "self-made-man" is carnal thinking. 

Last week we were asked of we would build some bunk beds for a church hosting volunteers. I said yes, because we could, we just need the wood. A few days later, last Saturday, I got a call. It seemed that a ministry that makes beds for families had purchased too much wood. It was for a one day build event in Cape Coral in a Lowes parking lot and now they were going to have to abandon what was left - a considerable quantity - because the few staff remaining were from out of state and leaving Florida the next day. I was asked if we could use it for the sheds and 10 bunk beds.  Martie and I drove to the Lowes parking lot to meet the ministry leader and I also met with the Store manager. I could see that there was wood enough for more than 10 bunk beds. I accepted the wood from the ministry leader and asked the store manager if Lowes would deliver it to our camp. All of this happened in one hour - from the time I got the call until Pathfinder had possession of more than enough wood to build the beds. The number has grown from 10 to 16 and now other churches are asking for help. I just wish my scout leader friend had been  there to see God at work.

We must be careful that we don't confuse what God does through us with our own effort. Stealing God's glory to receive the praise of men or to feel good about ourselves is not good. I guess that should go without saying, but sometimes we need to be reminded.

From the world's perspective, you should never start any endeavor unless you have the resources to accomplish your plans.  From  God's perspective you should never start without the compliment of faith and obedience. Where God says "GO" you go. What God says "DO" you do. Pretty simple actually.

"Men make plans in their hearts but God orders their steps." - Proverbs 16:9

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

Be It So - Embracing Spiritual Truth

"For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory." - 2 Corinthians 1:20

“Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. When our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

The word "amen" means "so be it". We often treat it as if were punctuation. Like adding a period to end a sentence. I recall years ago a man was sitting next to me in church and every now and then during the sermon he would say "Speak! Be it so" I knew he was affirming the words of the preacher, but did not realize that he was actually saying Amen in a different way. When we say Amen we are saying that we embrace the truth of what was said. We are, figuratively speaking, wrapping our arms around it and holding it close to us. Or perhaps we are merely putting a period on the words and moving on to the next thing.

“We walk by faith and not by sight.”  2 Corinthians 5:7 

What does that mean? I think we should look at the substance of faith to understand … a supernatural trust in things hoped for that have not yet happened… and confidence in things we have not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1)  You think you are on one course, you commit to it and then, the Captain of the ship says “ heading to 270 degrees (West), full steam ahead, !”  What!  That is not in “my” plan.  Everyone is expecting me to travel on a 090 degree course (East) .. or maybe sit at anchor for a while.  Perhaps confusion or doubt will overcome you at that point, because we don’t understand or don’t want to understand is … maybe I misunderstood the order .. or maybe the Captain wants me to go in that direction next week .. you know, later, when it is more convenient for everyone.  When I can afford it financially or when it won’t inconvenience anyone.  It’s the common temptation to choose what is humanly reasonable over what is spiritually responsible. Or perhaps we should say "Amen" and step out in faith.

I am writing about a radical faith … not a misdirected one.  The world will tell you that you are misdirected if what you do does not make any sense to them.  If they can think of another way to do something that is less intrusive on others.  When God speaks, you must obey . .even in the face of the opposition of human convention. You might be thinking .. what does this have to do with me?  God has not asked me to go to Africa, or even Florida to help the people there.  Maybe not.  But He has asked you to change the course of your life.  To go in a new direction.  To obey His commands.  And what might those be?  To love Him above all, to love others, to abandon your devotion to the things of this world. (Matthew 22:37-39) To lay your life down. (Romans 12:1-2)  Pick up your cross daily and follow Jesus.  (Luke 9:23) So how is that going for you?  My wife and I are living what I call the “extreme” Christian life.  In the past 18 years we have done things in response to God’s redirection that frankly make people thankful they are not us.  Few are called to follow the course that He has set for us.  I do not say that pridefully.  We have said “Yes and Amen” and moved out smartly.  He has been the source of our strength ..the provider of what we needed it when we needed it.  He is the Captain and we are part of the crew.  He will do the same in your life but perhaps in a different context.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with your being right where you are so long as God has put you  there and your are faithful to obeying His orders.  Are you?  Then rejoice and praise the Lord! And if not .. 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 

Finding The Hover Button

 “Enoch walked faithfully with God” – Genesis 5:24

“Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God because the righteous will live by faith” – Galatians 3:11

How do you listen to sermons on Sunday? For me, I listen for the Spirit’s voice through the preacher’s words. “Lord, speak to my heart” And so there will be a few thoughts to come to my mind – revelations or I suppose, more correctly, re-revelations. Being reminded of some truths that I know but perhaps I need to be refreshed. When I was in the Army, if I had been away from the cockpit of a helicopter too long I would go back to Ft. Rucker for a refresher course. Things I once knew and did, almost without thinking were not so “autonomic”.  I couldn’t find what we called the “hover button”. But after a few wobbly hovers – there it was – like it was never gone.

And so, in a similar way, that is the way it is in my faith walk.  There are principles having to do with my new life in Christ that get “stuffed” in the back of my mind. Principles that I must be reminded of. Not that I have fallen into sin, but then again to miss God is to sin – to miss the mark. 

Something that I was reminded of this past Sunday was that my being right before God had to do with faith and not sin management. Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Noah, the list is long … were righteous before God because of their faith in God. These men were not sinless. But they loved God – the greatest commandment – Matthew 22:37-38. Do you remember Ephesians 2:8-9?

“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

It is my faith that is the prism through which God sees me as righteous. Not because I am a nice guy. Not because I am not guilty of doing any major sins. Only because of my faith in God, the Father and Jesus, the Son.

Does this sound simple – like something Christian knows. Like hovering a helicopter – you get away from it – in this case – not keeping it at the front of your mind, then you might well find yourself covering your sins with “fig leaves”. That is symptomatic of a faith problem. A “not loving God enough” problem.

When we do sin – and we will sin in some way – God made a provision for us.

“If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9

Are you guilty of “stuffing” your sin as if it does not matter to God or man? It may not matter to man – but it hampers your faith walk with God. To confess is to agree with God that you have chosen the way of the first Adam and not the Last Adam – that being Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:45)  It doesn’t have to be a special time or a special place. It can be any time and any place.

 “Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God because the righteous will live by faith” – Galatians 3:11

How do you listen to sermons on Sunday? For me, I listen for the Spirit’s voice through the preacher’s words. “Lord, speak to my heart” And so there will be a few thoughts to come to my mind – revelations or I suppose, more correctly, re-revelations. Being reminded of some truths that I know but perhaps I need to be refreshed. When I was in the Army, if I had been away from the cockpit of a helicopter too long I would go back to Ft. Rucker for a refresher course. Things I once knew and did, almost without thinking were not so “autonomic”.  I couldn’t find what we called the “hover button”. But after a few wobbly hovers – there it was – like it was never gone.

And so, in a similar way, that is the way it is in my faith walk.  There are principles having to do with my new life in Christ that get “stuffed” in the back of my mind. Principles that I must be reminded of. Not that I have fallen into sin, but then again to miss God is to sin – to miss the mark. 

Something that I was reminded of this past Sunday was that my being right before God had to do with faith and not sin management. Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Noah, the list is long … were righteous before God because of their faith in God. These men were not sinless. But they loved God – the greatest commandment – Matthew 22:37-38. Do you remember Ephesians 2:8-9?

“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

It is my faith that is the prism through which God sees me as righteous. Not because I am a nice guy. Not because I am not guilty of doing any major sins. Only because of my faith in God, the Father and Jesus, the Son.

Does this sound simple – like something Christian knows. Like hovering a helicopter – you get away from it – in this case – not keeping it at the front of your mind, then you might well find yourself covering your sins with “fig leaves”. That is symptomatic of a faith problem. A “not loving God enough” problem.

When we do sin – and we will sin in some way – God made a provision for us.

“If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9

Are you guilty of “stuffing” your sin as if it does not matter to God or man? It may not matter to man – but it hampers your faith walk with God. To confess is to agree with God that you have chosen the way of the first Adam and not the Last Adam – that being Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:45)  It doesn’t have to be a special time or a special place. It can be any time and any place.

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

Standing In The Presence Of God

 "…having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus…" —Hebrews 10:19

We must never lose sight of who God is.  You think, “Oh I know who He is.  He is the  dot...dot...dot" Yet we can easily become irreverent in our attitude and even references to God.  Have you ever heard someone call God “the man upstairs”?  Or maybe Jesus as "JC"? Normally when I hear that I assume that the person is not born again, but that is not necessarily so.  It is like giving God or Jesus a nickname because you are such close, personal friends. 

“When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” - Exodus 3:4-6

When God spoke to Moses on the mountain, Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”  Why take off his sandals?  When you are in the presence of the Creator God, you must stand clean before Him.  Taking off his sandals represented all of the things that Moses had picked up from a sinful the world.  

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:19-23

We have been given access to the Holy of Holies – God’s presence through the blood of Jesus – the veil was torn.  But that does not mean that we can approach God like he is our buddy or with sin in our heart .. any way we want to .. like the relationship is up to us and not God.

Years ago it was customary for people to dress up in the “Sunday-go-to-meetin’ clothes” when they went to church.  It was akin to taking off their shoes in the presence of God.  Today – there is a casualness on church attire.  Shorts and flipflops are considered acceptable.  It’s not really about the clothes you wear on the outside but the condition of your heart on the inside.  Jesus said 

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” - Matthew 23:25-26

“A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.” - Proverbs 21:2

 I want to encourage you (that includes me) to consider how you approach God.  If you are going to talk with Him – your heart must be clean.  You should have a reverence toward Him.  Moses had to look away because of God’s glory.  I have a friend who stands in bare feet when he preaches.  When I first saw that, I thought it was a little quirky.  But on reflection, it is actually out of great reverence toward God.  A reminder to himself that what he is doing has eternal consequences as he is fulfilling his God-given purpose. That he has a great responsibility to a holy God and must stand clean before Him.  And so must we!

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

Planning For The Next Disaster

The 1st of June is the beginning of the Hurricane season for the Gulf Coast.  It lasts until the end of November. Most hurricanes occur in the fall.  Most often, an area of interest will form off of the west coast of Africa and then make its way toward the Gulf. A storm will develop in the Gulf of Mexico.  It often strengthens into a hurricane and is heads for land and the people living in the communities on the coast.  It is an all too familiar story.  The people can’t change the storms intensity or direction, all they can do is get ready to endure its fury and deal with the aftermath of the storm.  Many of the people affected by the storm from the previous year are still “storm-shocked”.  A storm of any size, even a thunderstorm can bring on feelings of fear and anxiety - depression even.  

That is the way it is with the storms of life.  They are sure to come, but unlike having a Weather Channel to watch, you may not see them coming.  They will often have destructive power – relationships – health – wealth.  We need to be prepared for them.  We can certainly pray that the storm will be averted, that the problem will go away, but it doesn’t always happen. So what to do. Well, you need a plan.  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

Did you catch that? Our plan is simple. It is faith in Jesus and peace through Jesus.  So long as you are walking on this planet and have breath, you will be faced with storms, with tribulation.  Remember the story about Jesus and the disciples in a boat.....

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "LORD, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” - Matthew 8:23-27

Did you catch that? The storm was raging and Jesus was sleeping.  He was at peace in the middle of the storm.  How is it that the disciples didn’t pick up on that?  Because they were focused on the storm and their fear, not the One who commanded the wind and waves.  With all of their nautical skills, they lacked the ability to do anything about it.  So they turned to Jesus to fix it.  Had they truly understood His sovereignty, perhaps they would have taken a nap as well.  

Your ability to endure the storms that will come your way is a function of the strength of you faith.  Jesus said they lacked faith and asked them why they were so afraid.  That was a rhetorical question because He knew their hearts and their faith.  And He knows ours and asks us the same question.  My old friend Proverbs 3:5-6 comes to mind.  Trust God and not yourself.  In the Army we said “You fight the way you train.”  In other words, you need to be prepared for the battle.  Many of us put that off – that is until the storm comes.  Then we want to know where God is – Oh, He is sleeping.  What ?!?!?! It’s not a matter of God not caring, it is the point that He is sovereign – the master of the seas.  This is what King David wrote.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident” - Psalm 27: 1-3

Will there be storms that come your way. And there will be consequences from those storms?  Most likely.  But you can survive - you can endure! But only if the Lord is your light and salvation. Perhaps you are in the middle of a storm right now. Look to Jesus. 

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

Losing Hope When Things Don’t Go Your Way

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." - Psalm 42:11 

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) means you are sealed. It 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 you, 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 the 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.  (Hebrews 11:1) “Faith is the substance of things hoped for.  The evidence of things not seen.”  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

And perhaps one more.

"the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My [Jesus] name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 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, neither let it be afraid." - John 14:26-27

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

Delusional Living

"what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.  For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,  slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." - Romans 8:20-32

I heard a sermon this past Sunday where the preacher was explaining the meaning of delusion. "holding false beliefs or judgments about external reality that are held despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, typically as a symptom of a mental condition" In other words - perception is reality. Whatever you think is real ... is true ... is your reality.  My thoughts went to Romans chapter 1 and then more to the culture I live in. Imagine living in a society where what is true is whatever you or the consensus deems to be true.  A world where there are no absolutes.

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:6

There is an eternal reality that the world has turned a blind eye to. There are eternal consequences for humans that are not true for all other creatures on this planet.  When does this happen? The easy answer is the moment of conception. And that is the hard answer as well. It drives so many "what about" questions. I do not understand it all, but I know what the Bible says.  At some point we all face the challenge of accepting what the Bible says about something - even if it is beyond ability to reason through it - as truth - as reality. That will open happen if we are born again by faith and enlivened by the Spirit of God.

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" -  1 Corinthians 2:14

Don't expect the world to agree with Biblical truth. Their perception, their reality is superior in their minds to anything Christians might believe. In their eyes, we are the fools. We are blind guides. We are to be pitied. Does the depravity that is so rampant in the world alarming to you? It should be but only because it makes the light shine brighter. The darker the night, the brighter the light. Do not despair.  Truth will win out. Perhaps not in our lifetime, but the Day is coming. In the meantime, continue to put your hope in God. Be the Light!

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

When The Planets Align

"And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.  And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day." - Genesis 1:14-19

I installed a motion light last night near our RV since we are basically in the middle of nowhere, that being the back acreage of New Hope Presbyterian church, in the middle of somewhere - that being Fort Myers. When church activity ceases, we are the only ones on the property. Well, there ARE a number of lizards running amuck and two relatively small alligators in the pond behind us, a rabbit hopped past me last night and there are some Peacocks calling out "help us" (in bird speak), well that is what we imagine anyway.  As I was testing the light, I happened to look up and saw two planets aligned vertically in the clear night sky. It was one of those stilling moments, when you are suddenly aware of how small you really are and how big God really is. Those planets are Jupiter and Venus by the way.

I was reminded that just as God has set those celestial bodies in motion - He has also set an alignment of events in our lives. We are living in that alignment even as I type these words. It is remarkable.

"And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers" - Romans 8:27-29

And you and I are the Called if we have been born again by faith in Jesus. Just like the planets, God has set certain things in motion. Things that involve you and me. Perhaps not the same things - but then again, perhaps we share the same call from time to time. I met a brother the other day, Andy, who serves with a ministry called Echo - Hope Against Hunger - "Echo has impacted millions of lives by teaching small-scale, sustainable farming methods so families can provide for themselves and their communities [around the world]. By tackling hunger at the source, Echo is growing hope from the ground up." (their website)  As we talked I told him that I sensed we were kindred spirits. I have met a number of men over the years - not many men but a few - where the Spirit of God connected us in that first meeting. Our lives were aligned in that moment for God's purpose. A purpose which has not yet been revealed. Does that sound mysterious? It should! That is what faith-life is all about.  What lies ahead at the next step is a mystery - revealed only after we have taken that step of faith. Is it a dangerous life - oh yes - full of uncertainties. Is it a rewarding life? Absolutely! As I have said many times before, there is nothing better than being in the center of God's will for your life - geography or circumstances have nothing to do with it.

Live your new life with expectation - expecting that God has a plan for you. But, you won't experience it if you are not willing to trust Him. And know that His plans for you are not independent of Himself. He is the source of your strength and understanding. 

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

Reaching For Spiritual Maturity

"But I [Paul], brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.  I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way" - 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

I sued to speak at churches quite a bit when I was with Promise Keepers ministry. I would say that I wish I could give everyone spiritual glasses so they could see Christians as they really are. Maturity wise. Some with white hair would be in diapers sucking on a bottle. Some younger would be mature adults. Well, needless to say, that did not go over very well.  I can say that I was never invited back to any of those churches. If you have read my BLOG for any time you know that I have never learned to not say what the Spirit lays on my heart.

When a person matures naturally, it is a biological process.  Their bodies change over time. But even though their bodies change it does not mean that they can function independently, have wisdom and self control. In a similar way, Christians may look back to the day they were saved - some years back and think of themselves as having matured. But maturity for a Christian means that they are more God-dependent. They reflect Jesus in the way they live their lives. Their life choices are consistent with the teachings in the Bible.

Not growing up as a Christian, Martie and I were 26 when we were born again, I was surprised to hear testimonies of many 20 somethings describing a season after leaving their family home where they fell away from the faith. My conclusion was that while at home, they lived under the umbrella of their parents faith but once out of the nest they had to "fly" on their own faith. Struggling at first. Perhaps even fluttering to the ground for a moment, they soon got their wings. 

Being a mature Christian does not mean perfection, but it does mean spiritual growth and a consistent and persistent reliance on God as our Provider - Jesus as the Way and Truth and Life - the Spirit as the source of our strength, our Teacher, and Guide - the Word of God as the measure of how we should then live.  Oh that I could arrive while my feet are still planted on terra firma but the truth is that I will not reach my goal until the day I see Jesus face to face.

"I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you." - Philippians 3:13-15

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

Keeping Up With Jesus

"Enoch walked with God…"  —Genesis 5:24

 “The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight. It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now— get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

I was walking down the hall with a friend yesterday, but his pace was much faster than mine.  I soon found myself a few yards behind him.  I thought, “I guess my age is catching up with me.”  Then it dawned on me that I might be out of shape!  We can get out of shape spiritually too.  

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

This new life in Christ that we each live requires the discipline of an athlete.  Without proper spiritual conditioning, we will find ourselves falling behind, getting spiritually winded – another way of saying that we will struggle with sin and obedience. 

There are two qualities that are important both in manufacturing and in the Christian life.  Validity and Reliability.  Validity means that whatever it is, is made and functions according to the designer’s plan.  Reliability means that it continues to function in the same valid way every time.  Have you ever said of someone that they are unreliable?  That they can’t be counted on? Well, perhaps that could be said of us as well with respect to our walk with the Lord.  We all have feet of clay, but we also all have the Spirit of God in us and the capacity to live a super-natural life.  A life dependent upon the One who saved us and not ourselves. 

That requires discipline and determination. Spiritual maturity, unlike physical maturity does not just happen. It works effort - every day. And if you don't do your spiritual exercises, you will fall behind. And so my friend, my encouragement to you is to fix your eyes on Jesus and pick up the pace!

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

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

Knowing Is Not A Requirement For Going

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

“Have you ever “gone out” in this way? If so, there is no logical answer possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. 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. Each morning  as you wake, there is a new opportunity to “go out,” building your confidence in God. You must learn to “go out” through your convictions, creeds, or experiences until you come to the point in your faith where there is nothing between yourself and God.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Before I start .. heads up …. this is a long devotion today.  There seems to be a couple of essentials in “going”.  The first is “knowing”.  Not knowing where God is leading you but 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. That is called becoming independent. But, if you go off on your own to do something that requires the power of God, you are in trouble from the start.  You can do nothing in the flesh that will please God. To know it is God and not you, 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 “going”.  Paul wrote …. (Philippians 3:-13-14) “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.”  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. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. … All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. …. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.” - Hebrews 11:8-10, 13, 17-19

Both of 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 do know people who think that doing comes before being.  If I immerse myself in the work of the ministry then I will be in the will of God.  That is a “works” mentality. Doing the will of God starts in the heart not in the hands.  Following God for us 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 perhaps later at a more convenient time.

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.  I pray Paul's prayer for you.

 “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:14-21

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

Husbands And Wives - What It Means To Love Each Other

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” - 1 Corinthians 13:

The other day, as I was leafing through the pages of my Bible, I notice a diagram I had made from either a sermon or a teaching some years back.  The diagram depicted a simple truth.  God loves us and because of that love we are able to love others in the same way.  You can find that in Matthew 22:37-39 when Jesus condensed all of the Law into two commands – Love God  (first) and Love Others (second).  Also in 1 John 4:19 – We love because He loved us first.  Love is so important which is why Paul wrote about it in 1 Corinthians 13.

That same love is, or should be, at the root of a marriage relationship if that relationship is to glorify God and be what He intended it to be. If the relationship is based on something else, then it will fall short of God's intent and design.  But there’s more – in Ephesians 5:25 – Paul wrote that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church.  Meaning that the husband must be willing to lay his life down for his wife.  Give up his dreams even.  The husband has been given great responsibility as the spiritual head of the wife.  With responsibility comes authority.  The problem is that many men want to cling to the authority part and shirk their responsibility as the “spiritual” head of the family part.  In 1 Peter 2 and 3, Peter wrote about submission. That wives should submit to their husbands.  Submit to what? His God-given authority. In today’s “progressive” culture, many woman struggle with this.  Why? Because they don’t trust their husbands, and men in general, to NOT abuse their authority and shirk their responsibility. But – Peter goes on to say “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” I think that “weaker partner” is a reference to how the husband treats the wife not that that wife is less than the husband. Treat the wife like a precious jewel – a fragile flower – being careful to bring no harm and to keep harm from coming to her. Treat her like she is the most important person on the planet - because she is and the same goes for the wife.

Ephesians 5:22-24 addresses mutual submission out of reverence for Christ. “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

All of this love and submission is in the context of our faith and not our natural life.  The problem is that many see loving each other in this way as problematic because they are looking at it through the lens of their natural, sinful life.  

The bottom line is that success in marriage is dependent upon both partners mutually submitted to each other and both, equally, submitted to the Spirit of God – loving each other with the love of God. And if things don’t seem to be working – evaluate how you are loving each other.  When a marriage fails, most assuredly the culprit will be our sin nature.  And if you are unevenly yoked – one of you is not a Christian – that does not relieve the Christian of their responsibility to obey God.  There is so much more to be said – but so many have already said it.  Love each other just like Jesus and the Father loves you. It takes faith to do that. 

A final thought. God never asks us to do anything that we can do on our own. We will always need Him to do 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

You Cannot Do Enough To Please God

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-10

I heard a great sermon this morning about faith and works. It was focused on Cain, Abel and Seth, but as I listened, I realized it was really about Adam. 

"Cursed is the ground because of you; With hard labor you shall eat from it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” - Genesis 3:17-19

The misconception that works pleases God started with Adam. God was not saying that works would or could make Him happy. Work, dependence on yourself to provide, is a consequence of sin. Ephesians is saying the same thing. Working hard - even doing good things for others - will never be enough to please God. The story of the rich young ruler is the same. He thought that doing the right things was enough to get him into heaven. He had a heart problem - Adam had a heart problem - Cain had a heart problem, all of us have or have had a heart problem.

Work as the consequence of Adam's sin is not ever going to be enough. As Christians you and I are His workmanship in Christ Jesus.  It is Jesus' sacrifice that is the way to God.

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

Oh - you know that? Then why do you persist in trying to work your way into God's favor? Because it is in our old nature. People can wrap works in religion and piety, but it is still an unacceptable sacrifice - just like Cain's offering. The fruit of his labor probably looked good on the surface but it fell woefully short. 

"For this is my [Jesus] blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." - Matthew 26:28

Without the shedding of blood - a sacrifice - there is not remission of sins. That is why Abel's offering was acceptable and Cain's was not. That is why it is by faith in Jesus, who shed His blood once for all, as the perfect and eternal sacrifice, is the only way for you and me to be acceptable to God, the Father. 

Hertz car rental used to have a slogan, "We try harder". That is just not good enough 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

A God-Incident

 "And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” - Esther 4:14

I know that you are familiar with the term "co-incident". Two or more incidents that occur at the same time but are not necessarily related to each other. One did not happen because the other did. Random events - unrelated to each other. Well, there is something that I refer to as a God-incident. The distinction is that its occurrence could not have been planned. That the probability of it occurring is, well, improbable. But it happened anyway. I am about to tell you about one.

You know that we are in Florida following the call of God. It is the 5th time that God has called us out of where we were to a new place to accomplish His purposes.  Right now we are setting up our base of operations. It has not been without its challenges.  And, frankly, we have been asking God if we had heard Him correctly. Today we received a resounding "Yes!"

Mandi is getting her RV setup. She came to the door of our RV and told me that there was someone outside in a truck and I should come out to see if they were looking for me. So I did.  Actually the guys were looking at some damaged electrical equipment that occurred during the Hurricane.

I introduced myself and was talking to a man named Tom Haberkorn.  I thought that I had heard that name before but dismissed the thought. I soon discovered that Tom was a deacon at a local Baptist church and he gave me his card. I gave him mine. Co-incidentally, Martie had mentioned that she had wanted to attend his church when we drove past it earlier that week. I told Tom we would come to the church on Sunday. 

Later in the day, I got a text from Tom saying he had called his son to see if he knew us. It seems Tom's wife, Debbie, remembered my name when Tom told her about meeting me. His son, Tom, said yes. It seems that Tom, the dad, and Debbie had sat in one of the Sunday School classes that we taught at Gateway Baptist Montgomery, AL in 2015 or 2016. His son, Tom and his wife Jennifer were members of our class. And that is the God-incident. We had not asked for a sign, but we got one anyway - by the grace of God.  Yes, we are supposed to be here.

Experiencing God - Reality or Principle #4 - God speaks! He speaks by the Spirit through His Word, prayer, circumstances - or incidents, and other Believers.  For us we are hearing God Lima Charlie - Licken Chicken - Loud and Clear!  

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 Friend In Need Is

"And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. Luke 11:5-8

There is a difference between being a friend and being friendly.  Actually, in life, we have few "friends". People who are more like family than people you like to be around.  People who, although being inconvenienced, are willing to be a help in time of need.  I am certain you have heard the saying, " A friend in need is a friend indeed." Catching phrase. Frankly I had not thought it through for many years. Like the man who was awakened in the middle of the night in Luke chapter 11.  It was not a convenient time but his friend was in need so he helped him. Why because he was his friend.

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." - John 15:13-14

Jesus said the greatest expression of love is to sacrifice for a friend. Time, money, compassion, companionship. Walking through the difficulties of life with someone. I was talking with my daughter about this the other day.  So many people have said they wanted to help in some way, but when the time came, "crickets".  I am supposing they saw the offer as being the "good thing" and had no intention of actually doing it. It is not about feeling good about yourself for even thinking good thoughts towards someone. Laying you life down means that you actually are going to do it.

"A person of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

We all know many people who are friendly. Being friendly doesn't cost you anything and even makes you feel good. But being a friend - well that can be very costly. There are few who are willing to pay the price. The question for each of is, I suppose, is "What kind of friend am I?" The friendship I have been referring to has spiritual roots. Born from our love for God and love for others. Willing to bear the burdens of other.

"Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2

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

Listening To The Sounds Of Grumbling

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" -  Philippians 2:13-15

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." - 1 Peter 4:8-10

"These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ" - Jude 16-17

These are but a few of the references in the Bible to children of God grumbling. You know about Israel on their way to the Promised Land and their attitude. Do you recall the phrase "God loves a cheerful giver"? Why do suppose that is?

Well let's imagine that God has our best in mind. He asks us to demonstrate our love for Him by our willingness to set aside earthly comforts and "treasure" in favor of showing our devotion to Him. Not just giving money - although the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. Possessions can become our "Precious"! No, we are asked to lay our lives down as living sacrifices - Romans 12:1-2. Without grumbling. Have you heard the saying "You can make me do it but you can't make me like it"? That would come from the mouth and heart of a grumbler.

Was Jesus being unreasonable when he told the young man to sell everything he had and follow Jesus? That is what God asks every Believer to do.  Abandon your devotion to the things of this world and devote your heart fully to God. Without grumbling. Without regret. Lot's wife was a grumbler.

When the preacher tells you that the local church needs your tithe - do you resent having to give up money you could spend or hoard for another purpose? 

Grumblers can be very pious.  "mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage." When they are really whitewashed tombs filled with dead men's bones.

Lest you are thinking that I am referring to someone else and their name has come to your mind. Recall Jesus' words.

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." - Matthew 7:2-5

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

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

 “What does the Lord require of you, O man. But to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” - Micah 6:8

Have you ever heard that expression? Normally the phrase is used to raise an awareness of a contribution or act performed by someone whose praises were yet unsung.  Most everyone wants to know they have value and are favored by others.  In a world that is dominated by “bad news”, the acknowledgement and even glamorizing of the evil that prevails, to hear of good things is rare.  Micah 6:8 asks this rhetorical question and then provides the answer. 

Walking humbly is what I am addressing today.  It is OK that people recognize your achievements, your character, your acts of kindness.  As Christians, we are to walk humbly.  To walk humbly means to live with an awareness that God is the source of all good things.  If you have any ability, it is because God formed you that way.  You may nurture that ability and apply it, but its source is God.  

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

Now and again, people may want to recognize you for your good works.  The natural world has no spiritual discernment, so they see acts of kindness as being the same whether motivated by God or not.  And if  you give God the credit.  If you give Him the glory. The world says, “isn’t that special!” As a matter of fact it is.  To give God the credit when you are praised is not false humility.  It is the real deal.  

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” - Psalm 96:3

We have the amazing opportunity to see God at work.  People may marvel at the work done, but without spiritual eyes, they will not have understanding that God is at work.  It will seem like an amazing coincidence.  Or perhaps that act of an amazing person.  When in fact it is because of an amazing God.  

The bottom line on the bottom line is this.  Be careful that you don’t rob God of His glory. Give all glory to Him.  Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel and Christoph Graupner would signify that the work was produced for the sake of praising God with “Soli Deo Gloria”. That should be at the heart of every act – everything we do. 

That is one of the 5 Solas of the Reformation.  

Sola Scriptura  - “Scripture Alone” : The Bible alone is our highest authority.

Sola Fide - “Faith Alone” : We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Sola Gratia - “Grace Alone” :  We are saved by the grace of God alone.

Solus Christus – “Christ Alone : Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior, and King.

Soli Deo Gloria – “To the Glory of God Alone” : We live and do for the glory of God alone.

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 You Can and Cannot Control In Life

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

We have been experiencing no small amount of adversity as we press forward with what we are confident is the calling of God. In the face or should I say the midst of it, a thought occurred to me. "I may not be able to control what happens to me/us, but I can control how I respond to what happens to me/us." (Charley Elgin) Read through the fruit of the Spirit again. It is the description of the life of the Christian walking by the Spirit of God. Submitted to His leading. When "life" lands on his doorstep he/she responds with peace, patience and self control. That would be your spiritual self control that is born out of the presence of the Spirit and not your human effort to obey what the Bible says. So you might say control that is born out of yielding to the Spirit and not to the flesh.

"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

James says that trials test our faith - uh - yeah! and that testing when experienced while submitted to the Spirit yields patience.  In fact it seems that enduring trials are a necessary part of our spiritual shaping.  Hopefully this will give you a different perspective on the trouble that will surely come your way.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God." - Psalm 42:11

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 I Love Thee There Is Only One Reason

 "Jesus said to him, “‘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." - Matthew 22:37-39

Driving on I-10 today from 0500 to 2100 - yes some stops along the way - but plenty of time to reflect on the why's of this journey and some eternal truths that often ping around inside my brain :)

The one that stuck today was the question of "Why do I love others?" Because I am commanded to is the easy answer. But, what is the reason for loving others - especially the ones that are a bit like porcupines - just really hard to hug!

There is a chain of events - God loves us - we love God - we love others because God loves them and we love what God loves.

Of course there is a flip side to that. God loves us - we don't love God - so we don't love others that God loves because we don't love what God loves. Even if we pretend we do to gain acceptance from others.

You know Micah 6:8 says essentially the same thing.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?" - Micah 6:8

Why do we do justly? Because God is just. Why do we love mercy. Because God is merciful. Why do we walk humbly in reference to God? Because we love God. Why do we love God? Because God first loved us.

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

When God Shows Up

"When it pleased God…" —Galatians 1:15

“As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him— to give God “elbow room.” We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never expected Him to come? Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. […] Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest 

Do you expect God to show up, personally, for you?  Maybe you do or maybe you think that was for another time or for more spiritual people than you. What does God showing up look like in your mind?   A burning bush?  The Shekinah glory as a cloud or pillar of fire?  Or perhaps a still small voice?

“And he [the Lord] said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””  -  1 Kings 19:11-13

If you are looking for God to show up .. well the fact is, He is already here.  When we gather to worship, we don’t have to ask the Lord to show up.  His Spirit is in each believer.  People may not be willing to admit it, but they would really prefer that God show up in the wind or earthquake or fire. 

I was on staff with Promise Keepers for a time.  I attended the PK Pastor’s conference in 1995 in Atlanta.  There were about 40,000 ministers in the Georgia Dome.  As we all prayed in silence, I peeked.  I confess it!  I was wondering how God would show himself in this glorious event. Perhaps the roof would open and God’s Shekinah Glory would once again appear.  As I looked up, I saw a single dove flying in circles above the crowd.  I closed my eyes, opened them again and the dove was gone.  So I thought – get a grip Charley, you were seeing things.  After the Amen … a man standing next to me said “Hey did you see that Dove flying over the crowd?”  Is it OK if God doesn’t answer your prayer in the way you would like?  By the way, for weeks after, Doves were following me around.  Sitting on the porch rail watching me. Standing on the curb next to the road I was driving by. I won’t go into details … but it was not my imagination.  At the time little unnerving if I am honest.  But I thank God for the reminder. 

 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:13

Have you ever known someone who was not really interested in you, but only in what you could give them?  Why are you interested in God?  Is He merely your personal first responder or is He the source of life?  He has already given you the greatest gift that can be given – eternal life in His Son.  He has sealed you with His Spirit.  He has blessed you with every spiritual blessing.  (Read Ephesians 1 and 2) That, my friend, is a reason to rejoice no matter what comes your way in this life. No matter how God shows himself.

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