The Great Cloud Of Witnesses

"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, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." - Hebrews 12:1-3

We knew a pastor in Savannah, Georgia who would often say, "When you see the word 'therefore' in the Bible, you need to look back to see what it is "there-for!" Martie and I watch a program called "The Repair Shop." The Shop is located in England. People bring broken things that have significant emotional and relational meaning in their lives hoping that somehow that which is broken can mended. And their love for the person it is tied to is somehow refreshed. In most cases the items have been passed down generation to generation and the person from the last generation has most often passed. There are many spiritual parallels between what the people in the shop do for others and what we, as Christians have been called to do for others. I think that is why we like the program so much. It speaks to our passion to serve others and bear one another's burdens. (Galatians 6:2) 

So - where is this going? After the repair is accomplished, very often the person receiving the help will say something to the effect - "If they (the person who has passed) are up there or if they are looking down, I am sure they are pleased." That got me thinking about Hebrews 12:1. 

When Hebrews 12 speaks about a Great Cloud of Witnesses, who are they exactly? Are they Christians who have gone before us sitting in a heavenly stadium watching us run the race, playing in the game of life? After much thought and study - my conclusion is there is no stadium in the sky.

Looking to see what the "therefore" is "there for", we need to consider chapter 11. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the rest of the Old Testament believers looked forward with faith to the coming of the Messiah. They were faithful men and women who paved the way for us in the Old Testament demonstrating faith that guided and directed them, unaware that God had something better planned. Those who have preceded us testify to God’s faithfulness and serve as examples of faith and obedience for those who follow.  Unlike those mentioned in Hebrews 11, we have the benefit of looking back seeing the fulfillment of all the prophecies concerning Jesus first coming. 

"We are surrounded by the saints of the past in a unique way. It’s not that the faithful who have gone before us are spectators to the race we run. Rather, it is a figurative representation and means that we ought to act as if they were in sight and cheering us on to the same victory in the life of faith that they obtained. We are to be inspired by the godly examples these saints set during their lives. These are those whose past lives of faith encourage others to live that way, too. That the cloud is referred to as “great” indicates that millions of believers have gone before us, each bearing witness to the life of faith we now live." - (Who are “the cloud of witnesses” mentioned in Hebrews 12:1? | GotQuestions.org)

Reflecting back on the Repair Shop program, I am actually saddened by the comments I hear about those who have gone before those seeking solace through the restoration of some object. None of the people on that program sound certain about eternity. I see the passion and love they have for those who have gone before them. Seeing the objects of their affection repaired they are reminded of the person who has been lost through death and their love for them. As many as we have listened to, not once was God or Jesus mentioned by any of them. No hope only memories. 

As an aside, I looked up the number of Christians who attend church in England in 2022 as compared to the number of declared Christians in England - it is slightly above two percent (2%). I know that there were great spiritual movements that were birthed in England that swept the United States and other parts of the world. I fear that the same might be said of the United States. I have a friend who has served as a volunteer with us many times over the years. During our chats as we worked in the field, I would ask, "So George, what do you think?" To which he invariably replied, "Jesus Saves". And that is what I think about it too.

"We have heard the joy­ful sound: Jesus saves! Je­sus saves! Spread the tid­ings all around: Jesus saves! Je­sus saves! Bear the news to every land, Climb the mountains, cross the waves; Onward! ’tis our  Lord’s command; Jesus saves! Je­sus saves!" -  Pris­cil­la J. Ow­ens, Jesus Saves

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 Trust God?

"Peter began to say to Him, See, we have left all and followed You." —Mark 10:28

“Our Lord replies to this statement of Peter by saying that this surrender is “for My sake and the gospel’s” (Mark 10:29). It was not for the purpose of what the disciples themselves would get out of it. Beware of surrender that is motivated by personal benefits that may result. Our motive for surrender should not be for any personal gain at all. We have become so self-centered that we go to God only for something from Him, and not for God Himself. It is like saying, “No, Lord, I don’t want you; I want myself.” Genuine total surrender is a personal sovereign preference for Jesus Christ Himself. Where does Jesus Christ figure in when we have a concern about our natural relationships? Most of us will desert Him with this excuse— “Yes, Lord, I heard you call me, but my family needs me and I have my own interests. I just can’t go any further” (see Luke 9:57-62). “Then,” Jesus says, “you ‘cannot be My disciple’ ” (see Luke 14:26-33). True surrender will always go beyond natural devotion. If we will only give up, God will surrender Himself to embrace all those around us and will meet their needs, which were created by our surrender. Beware of stopping anywhere short of total surrender to God. Most of us have only a vision of what this really means, but have never truly experienced it.” - My Utmost For His Highest

Have you really considered what following Jesus means in terms of your natural life and affections?  I am certain you are familiar with the “Health and Wealth Gospel”.  The idea that if you are spiritually right then God will give you worldly prosperity.  Friend, that is not Biblical.  Explain to the millions of poor Christians that their problem is that they are not spiritually right with God.  The prosperity gospel is a result of the culture we live in.  The Bible says (Matthew 6:24) “You cannot love God and money.  You will love one and hate the other.” The prosperity gospel says “That is not true”.  It says if you give God a dime, you will get a dollar. The danger is that we interpret the scripture in the context of the lust of our eyes, the lust of your flesh and the pride of life. 

“For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-comes not from the Father but from the world.” - 1 John 2:16

Are you willing to let God decide the context of your living?  It might not be a big house, nice car, plenty of money, and secure retirement.  Is your primary concern protecting your standard of living or the standards by which you live?  The first has to do with faith in the things of the world and the second with faith in God.  

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” - 1 John 2:15

Reject the temptation to use God as a means to worldly comfort and peace.  Instead, be filled with the Spirit so that you can experience “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” in spite of the turmoil of the world that swirls around you or the place and circumstances you find yourself in.  

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path”.  - Proverbs 3:5-6

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 Like The God of Heaven Is With You

“Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties, it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this!” This will be no effort at all but will be a natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise.”  My Utmost For His Highest 

So, are you sitting somewhere reading this?  Are you aware of the clothes that you are wearing right now?  I know that you know you are dressed, but do you feel the clothes?  Do you have a constant awareness of them?  Probably not.  Well, maybe the pants that are getting a little tight around the waist or the shoes that look good but are “killing” your feet .. but they look good! My point is this.  God is sovereign and one of His attributes is that He is omnipresent.  That word is not used much from the pulpits these days.  It means He is everywhere all the time.  And you stay connected with Him because you were sealed on the day of your salvation with the Holy Spirit.  

“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”  - Ephesians 1:13-14

That has given you a constant connection with God.  You no longer have to go to the temple to seek God.  You are the temple. 

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” - 1 Corinthians 6:19

Where the Spirit was once in the Holy of Holies, the Spirit is now in us.  And as if that is not enough! 

“Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”  - Romans 8:26

God has made provision for us.  He is present even if we don’t feel His presence. There is nothing in your life that God is not aware of and bigger than.  He will be with you in the fire.  He will be with you when you are surrounded by troubles which would devour you.  He will be with you when your enemies number in the thousands.  When you stand before the giants.  When He leads you into unknown places.  God is always there! So, rejoice and be glad!  

“Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

(maybe cut back on the cookies!)

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

Do You Talk About Faith Or Live By Faith

We walk by faith, not by sight. —2 Corinthians 5:7

“We are here, not as immature angels, but as men and women, to do the work of this world. And we are to do it with an infinitely greater power to withstand the struggle because we have been born from above.” - My Utmost For His Highest

Faith verses sight .. it is a challenge for every saint.  We have the capacity to follow God and live our new life in Christ to and for the Father’s glory, but our earthly life gets in the way.  There is a saying “seeing is believing”.  I think it originated with the disciple Thomas. (John 20:25) We are more prone to respond to .. to trust in .. what we can see and touch and feel.  It’s natural … part of our old nature.  But now, we have a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17) Everything we do or say or think must be filtered through who we are in Christ.  

We don’t always do so well with that … like it or not … even though we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) the “old man” continues to rise back up wanting to dominate our behavior.  Some might say it’s just too hard and yield to their old nature.  The fact is it is impossible to live our new life successfully by trying harder.  We must live by faith … focused on the Father .. nourished by the Word of God, directed by the Holy Spirit, encouraged by the Saints.  

It is possible to “talk” about faith and not “walk” by faith.  People who do that don’t pray, don’t read the Word, don’t associate with Christians beyond the church walls … but they can sure talk about spiritual things .. about how good God is.  

“They have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.” - 2 Timothy 3:5-7

When I was in undergraduate school, I was the ROTC Cadet Commander.  Many of the cadets were like me .. prior service .. and many like me, many had served in Vietnam.  There was one young man, a cadet, who often talked about his exploits in Vietnam.  The more he talked, the more we listened, and the more we listened the more I became suspicious that he was never in Vietnam, he just knew a lot about it.  Well eventually I had to call him to task on it.  The truth was revealed and he was released from the ROTC program, in fact, he had to serve two years in the Army as a private .. part of his ROTC scholarship conditions.  He wanted to be like us but did not have the real experience that made it possible.  

The point of my sharing that?  Just because someone can talk about the right things does not mean that they are what they say they are.  That ranges from people who are not Christians talking like they are to Christians who are not living by faith who are talking like they are.  Both are struggling with life.  

Knowing which are which, or who is who is like trying to separate the wheat and the tares.  Very difficult.  So, what to do?  If you are spiritually mature you will have spiritual discernment.  If you have spiritual discernment, you will be able to detect the genuine from the in-genuine.  You job is not to accuse or condemn but to love and encourage.  

I often ask people if they are Christians before I speak to them.  I may suspect they are but want to make certain. If they say yes then I tell them why I asked.  I tell them that I can talk to Christians from a spiritual perspective that will not be understood by the natural man.  (1 Corinthians 2:14) In the same way you need to understand who you are talking to. Then you can speak spiritual truth or point them to Jesus.  Something to ponder.

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

Truth Does Not Change - No Matter How Much The World Wants It To

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." - Galatians 1:10

There was a joke running around the Industrial (think - Ops Research Systems Analysis) Engineering department quite a few years ago when I was getting my Masters at Kansas State. It goes something like this. A company was looking to hire someone strong in mathematical analytics. The interview consisted of one question. "What is 4 divided by 2?" The first person interviewed was a mathematician. When asked the question, he got out his scientific calculator, pressed a few buttons and answered, "4 divided by 2 is exactly 2 point 0000".

The second person was a social scientist. His answer, "My feeling is that it is about 2." The third person was a systems engineer. When asked the question, he got up from his chair. He closed the blinds. Locked the door. Turned out the lights and whispered in the interviewer's ear, "What do you want it to be?" In the minds of men, truth is relative - relative to social consensus. ever changing across time.

But Biblical Truth is immutable. Its interpretation is not dependent upon the generation, country, ethnicity, or social consensus. It does not change. It has a spiritual root - revealed by the Creator God and not the thoughts and preferences of men and women. 

As Christians, our measure of "right" must always be a reflection of God's revelation and not the consensus of the culture and a period in history. But know this, if you embrace the Bible as your guide for what is right, and wrong, then you are bound to be at odds with the culture you live in. Paul said that "if he was trying to please men then he would not be servant of Christ." People do not like to be told that what they believe to be right is wrong. To have the Light of God's Truth shine on their sin will always draw their ire. The only time it will not is when the Spirit of God brings conviction to someone's heart, and they yield their truth to the Spirit of God by faith. 

Consider these verses

"The world cannot hate you, but it hates me [Jesus] because I testify about it that its works are evil." - John 7:7

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me [Jesus] before it hated you." - John 15:18

"Whoever hates me hates my Father also." - John 15:23

"Nevertheless, I [Jesus] tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me" - John 16:7-9

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

One Blink Of An Eye - One Breath Away From Glory

Now this is a topic that people don’t really want to talk about or dwell on.  I noticed that as my wife and I move closer to that “day”. Talking even about life insurance can a bit unsettling when you are on the back side of life.  It is sobering, really.  This mortal life that we live is all we know, isn’t it?  Life beyond the grave is something we only know about by faith.  Like Paul, we see it looking through a mirror dimly.

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." - 1 Corinthians 13:12

For ages, people have been seeking ways to promote longevity.  Some even have themselves “frozen in time”, literally, with the hope that someday someone will figure out a way to unfreeze them and give a healthy life back to them.  People are desperate.  Wealthy people are even more so. Guess what – everyone in your generation is going to die, one way or another.  

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” - Hebrews 9: 27-28

It is inescapable.  Many people try and have tried to hold on to their youth … it is all in vain.  Aging is something that is going to happen – just like death.  

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” - Psalm 139:14-16

God does not reveal how we will die or even when we will die, He only tells us that we will die. I am not trying to be morbid – or insensitive to those who have lost loved ones.  My objective is to get you to think about your life.  Jesus told a parable – recorded in Luke chapter 12 – about a man who had an abundance and wanted to keep it for himself for the future.  The thing was, he had a very short future – his days were up – he was going to die that night.  What are you putting your faith and hope in.  Most of us go to sleep expecting to awake in our bed the next morning – what if you open your eyes and you find yourself in heaven instead?  We should live our lives like today is the last day. If it was, then the earthly issues we worry about would fade into in-significance.  Each breath you take is a gift from God.  Each breath you take is one step closer to Glory.  

I have sat through – listened to – many, many sermons over the years.  I hear the same things over and over about heaven – just like you do.  But in light of our mortality – I believe that we should live for God like there is no tomorrow – there might not be.  Scare tactic? No.  Truth.  

It’s time to get busy and live like you really mean it and like you really believe 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

Are You Living In A Pit Of Despair?

(I wrote this in February 2018 in my journal. Thought I would share it)

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

As I watch so many people struggle with the issues of life - the thought about the importance of faith and living by faith comes to me.  So much of our attitude about life is dependent upon what happens to us and around us.  Our plans fail.  We suffer loss and are disappointed.  That disappointment often leads to depression which then leads to desperation.  But it is in those places where Faith is waiting. 

To have faith and hope in the midst of crisis makes no earthly sense.  But the pre-condition for trusting in and living by faith is not that it makes sense. Confidence, hope and peace resulting through faith will always stand in defiance of common sense, what is reasonable, and within human understanding. The faith I am writing about is supernatural - spiritual. It will always be contrary to the wisdom of the natural man. It makes no "earthly" sense.

The substance of faith is found in a relationship with the Creator God through Jesus Christ.  Faith is as real as the fact that gravity will keep you connected to this earth, and you will not float into space when you leave the house. Once you are able to grasp that - to embrace it - to apply it - to make it part of you - the result will be peace in the midst of any storm that might come your way.  And the storms will come!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33 

Know Jesus, Know Peace. No Jesus, No Peace

The same faith that brought us to Jesus and rebirth is the same faith that sustains us each day.

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 Where You Are Going

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake 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, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Brothers, 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." - Philippians 3:7-11,13-14

Martie and I were chatting with a friend this past week when she said, "You have to know where you are going." I wrote that down. I was reminded of Paul. His eyes were fixed on Jesus. Not his culture. Not his own well-being - but wholly on Jesus. Viewing his life in the context of what lies ahead. 

If we have a clear understanding that this life is but a speck in terms of eternity, the significance of what happens on the "natural side" of things becomes less important. Our earthly goals and ambitions dim in the significance of who we are in Christ and whose we are in eternity.  I was watching a commercial promoting that idea that a company could help you raise your credit score by 30 or 40 points for the express purpose of enabling you to go deeper in debt. They described it as "tricking" the credit system. 

Now there is a life goal worth pursuing. Or not. 

"And he [Jesus] said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” - Luke 12:15-21

Be careful that you don't buy into the world's idea of what it takes to be content - fulfilled - happy. Filling your life with wood, hay and stubble. Embracing a world view will leave you empty in the end. Put your hope in 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

Proof That You Really Care

"So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep." - John 21:15-17

I have read those verses many times in the past, always in the context of Peter's restoration after denying Jesus 3 times. Jesus asked Peter 3 times if Peter loved him.  

"Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me." - John 14:23-25

So, there it is. Jesus telling Peter that if Peter loves Jesus, then Peter can show it through obedience.  In the same way, if we say we love God but don't obey Him then the conclusion is that we don't love Him like we say we do.  A verse that has been a keystone in the foundation of our lives and ministry is Galatians 6:2.

"Bear one another's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ."

And what is the law of Christ?  Matthew 22:37-39. Love God and then, because I love God, love others.  

We very often have a sympathetic thought when we hear of someone dealing with a hardship, but rarely are we willing to come alongside them and help them bear the load.  I am thinking about the man in the ditch in Luke chapter 10.  The 2 religious men who claimed to love God walked on the other side of the road because they were too busy to help. Not their problem. Then there was the Samaritan - despised by the Jews - the last person that would help a Jew - but he crossed the road and sacrificed his time and money to help someone he did not know. He showed great grace and mercy to someone he did not even know.  

So how about you? Is your plate too full to make room for others? For saying yes to Jesus? I don't need to hear the answer - but the Lord is waiting to see if you really do. Well, actually, He already knows.

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 The Spirit

"Death no longer has dominion over Him.…the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God…"  —Romans 6:9-11

“Eternal life is not [a gift from] God; eternal life is [the gift of] God. The energy and the power which was so very evident in Jesus will be exhibited in us by an act of the absolute sovereign grace of God, once we have made that complete and effective decision about sin. “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8)— not power as a gift from the Holy Spirit; the power is the Holy Spirit, not something that He gives us. The life that was in Jesus becomes ours because of His Cross, once we make the decision to be identified with Him. If it is difficult to get right with God, it is because we refuse to make this moral decision about sin. Even the weakest saint can experience the power of the deity of the Son of God, when he is willing to “let go.” Then Jesus will have complete and effective dominion in us, and people will take notice that we have been with Him.” - My Utmost For His Highest

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” - Acts 4:13

The difference in Peter and John was that they had the Spirit of God in them.  Peter had just been with Jesus when Peter denied Jesus.  Peter was operating out of his flesh – his old nature when that happened.  But in Acts, they were speaking with power and wisdom that could not be explained except that these men had been with Jesus.  They reflected Jesus in their words and with the authority by which they spoke by the power of the Spirit in them.  It is the same with us.  The power of our new life is totally, 100%, dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit in us.  Imagine that you are driving down the road and someone reached over and turns the ignition key to the off position.  The engine stops .. the power steering is gone .. the car is unresponsive – dead if you will.  Well, that is how it is when we attempt to live the Christian life on our terms … without the Holy Spirit. 

 “Do not quench the Spirit” - 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Like turning the key to off, we can disregard the Holy Spirit … trust in ourselves … and fail.  Are you having trouble being the Christian you know you should be?  Most probably it is because you are not walking in the power of your new nature. 

“So I [Paul] say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” - Galatians 5:16-18 

Walking by the Spirit requires submission, obedience and intentionality. And that, my friend, is the truth!

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 Ministry May Not Be What You Think It Is

"Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel" - 1 Corinthians 1:17

“Paul states here that the call of God is to preach the gospel. But remember what Paul means by “the gospel,” namely, the reality of redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are inclined to make sanctification the goal of our preaching. Paul refers to personal experiences only by way of illustration, never as the end of the matter. We are not commissioned to preach salvation or sanctification— we are commissioned to lift up Jesus Christ (see John 12:32). Jesus Christ labored in redemption to redeem the whole world and to place it perfectly whole and restored before the throne of God. The one passion of Paul’s life was to proclaim the gospel of God. He welcomed heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation for only one reason— these things kept him unmovable in his devotion to the gospel of God.” - My Utmost For His Highest 

Have you ever thought of yourself as a preacher?  Probably not.  In our present-day economy, preacher has a connotation of someone devoted to ministry, standing behind a pulpit on Sunday morning.  While I was in Haiti … my moniker was “Pastor Charley”.  I did preach but did not pastor a church, but the Haitians associated me with those who did.  Although I am ordained as a minister of the Gospel in Baptist circles, I never pastored a church and never will, most probably.  My point, I am called to ministry and so are you, each in our own way according to God’s shaping.  We are all called to “preach the Gospel”.  

“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

You don’t have to stand behind a pulpit to lift Jesus up.  To tell people what happened in your life.  Telling people about your life before Jesus, how you met Jesus, and your life now that you follow Jesus.  I think we make it difficult with “methods” when it should be as natural as talking about your family or why you do what you do for a living.  \

“I [Paul] charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” - 2 Timothy 4:1-5

I am certain there are some people that you have known that you wanted to avoid when you saw them coming.  They “attacked” you with the Gospel.  Dr. John Maxwell said, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  It’s true.  Another thing that is true is that you cannot save anyone.  Our part is to tell about what happened to us when we met Jesus on the road.  His part is to send His Spirit to do a work in the person’s heart.  Their part is to believe the truth and by faith in Jesus be saved … or not.  You are simply to do your part, to “fulfill your ministry”.  Pretty simple when you think about 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

The Veil Of Feigned Holiness

"He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" —Ezekiel 37:3

“Can a sinner be turned into a saint? Can a twisted life be made right? There is only one appropriate answer— “O Lord God, You know” (Ezekiel 37:3). Never forge ahead with your religious common sense and say, “Oh, yes, with just a little more Bible reading, devotional time, and prayer, I see how it can be done.” It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration. We would much rather work for God than believe in Him. Do I really believe that God will do in me what I cannot do? The degree of hopelessness I have for others comes from never realizing that God has done anything for me. Is my own personal experience such a wonderful realization of God’s power and might that I can never have a sense of hopelessness for anyone else I see? Has any spiritual work been accomplished in me at all? The degree of panic activity in my life is equal to the degree of my lack of personal spiritual experience. When God wants to show you what human nature is like separated from Himself, He shows it to you in yourself. If the Spirit of God has ever given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and He will only do this when His Spirit is at work in you), then you know that in reality there is no criminal half as bad as you yourself could be without His grace. “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18). God’s Spirit continually reveals to His children what human nature is like apart from His grace.” - My Utmost For His Highest

No one, except God, knows you like you do.  I am referring to the things that remain unrevealed to others, behind the veil.  I think most if not all of us prefer that people believe we are more spiritual than we really are.  We can behave really well on Sunday mornings .. for an hour or so anyway or when we are gathered with other Christians.  But most of us struggle to be more righteous in our thinking and doing.  We learn to be content or resolved with our current level of sanctification.  It’s the best we can do!  That is our old nature at work in us.  What a friend of mine used to call "stinkin' thinkin'". A constant struggle.  

“When he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me (Jesus)” - John 16:8-9

During the great revivals, in times past, it was not uncommon for people to publicly confess their sins having come under great conviction by the Holy Spirit. For that to have happened publicly there must have first come conviction and brokenness privately.  When we hide behind a veil of feigned holiness, fearful that people will reject us if they really knew what we are made of, we cripple the new man - our new nature.  I am not suggesting that we stand on a street corner and shout out every sin … but I am encouraging you to not let the fear of what men may think of keeping you from submitting to the conviction of the Spirit and confessing your sins to the Father.  Don’t show more respect or fear for men than you do for the Father.  

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  - Matthew 10:28

“The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” - Psalm 118:6

To do that requires faith … a deepened faith that comes as you pursue a deeper relationship with God. Resist the temptation to become content with some sins in your life. 

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

Double Minded Because You Are In A Double Bind

"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." - James 1:6-8

A double bind is a dilemma in which an individual receives two or more reciprocally conflicting messages. In our case, obey God or do what is right in our own eyes.

Man chose to go his own way in the Garden in response to Satan’s question “Did God really say you will surely die?”  In other words, “What does God know?”  You know what is best for you, you don’t need God telling you what to do. “You can be your own god.”  Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan and sin entered in.  The eating the fruit was not the evil thing, it was disobedience that was evil. 

Humans are capable of doing much good and much evil.  We would like to think that the good people have a shot of getting into heaven, but the only way is to be born again (John 3) by faith in Jesus (John 14) and not by trying harder (Ephesians 2).  

Your desire to be your own god, the double bind, will haunt you until the day you see Jesus face to face. (Romans 7) You can only be successful in this new life by trusting in Jesus, keeping your eyes on Him and your heart devoted to God.  That, my friend, doesn’t just happen, it requires a determined effort on your part.  It is important to understand your old nature and to understand your new nature.  They are incompatible with each other.  In contention with each other. You can’t do both.  “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8) 

Don't think your struggle is unique - every Christian struggles.

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 Are What You Think

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" - Philippians 4:8

More and more I have been reading articles and discussions about the need to have armed security at church services. The threat is not necessarily from without, but from within. How far the "mighty" have fallen. The place where the Church - the body of Christ - gathers to worship was once thought of as being hollowed. To be respected as a place of a sacred assembly. A place where God is honored. Set apart from the world and its troubles. A place where people might come and find healing.

In my lifetime, I have seen a shift in that attitude and reference. Why would we need to be concerned about having people (men) trained specifically to intervene when someone threatens the health and safety of the worshippers. I have an idea and if you think about it, you might find that you agree.

Since my children were wee children there is a growing, insidious move to introduce violence as entertainment. What might have been censored or at least rated R is now commonplace - prevalent even. What was once confined to movie theaters and now accessible in the living rooms and bedrooms. Popular television is replete with series that glamorize violent death, loss, drugs, out of marriage sexual relationships. Our children are no longer protected from the worst the world has to offer. 

We practice "passive parenting" by setting them in front of a television, giving them an iPhone or iPad and let them "have at it" with little or no regulation. Possession of those devices has become a right not a privilege. The content they are exposed to shapes what is normal in their minds. What is acceptable. 

Violence has become a reasonable solution for problem solving. In the Army, we used simulators to practice our craft with the expectation that those refined skills would be used on the battlefield.  In the same way, the internet with filled with social simulations - refining our social skills - encouraging the idea that violence is acceptable - justifiable. And if you are not the perpetrator - you are at least ambivalent to it happening around you. I mean, it's normal right.

"Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:5-6

That is an admonition to parents and the Church. You can't save the children - that is the Lord's work - but you can show them the way. 

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 Do Something So You Can Be Something - Do Something Because You Are Something

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. —John 13:17

 Knowing is not the same as doing. You can memorize scripture all you want or are able, but if you don’t obey the scripture, it is to no avail.  It has not accomplished its purpose.  James wrote 

“Be doers of the Word and not hearers only” (James 1:22) 

We conjure up all kinds of substitutes for obedience to the Word.  The primary reason is .. well … it’s us.  We do not want to give in or give up … lay down .. turn away … or submit … we prefer to be in control … to not be in control is frightful .. it is an issue of trust and faith.  We don’t really trust God … our faith is not in Him but in ourselves. We have to protect ourselves … for many sad reasons … So what is the solution?  I have shared this illustration before .. some time ago.  

This is what is known as the Navigator’s Wheel.  I met an Arny captain at Fort Knox in 1976 right after I was born again who was with the Navigator's ministry. He shared this with me on a napkin during lunch one day. I am sharing this with you 48 years later. My point, never think that the spiritual seeds you plant will not take root. 

The Hub is Jesus – at the center.  There are 4 spokes.  The vertical spokes are meditation on the Word and Prayer.  The horizontal spokes are Witnessing to the Lost and Fellowship with other Christians.  The rim of the wheel is the Christ Centered Life.  Each of the components of the wheel requires us to do something.  Not do something so you can be something … but do something because you are something.  It starts with an intimate relationship with Jesus and goes from there.  Works as a result of faith … not faith as a result of works. The Christian life is supernatural and dependent upon the Spirit of God – faith in Jesus and a willing – submitted heart.   If you are struggling with this .. there is no better time than today to turn the corner.  Stop trying to change on the outside and let God change you from the inside.

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

Traditions

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands." - Colossians 2:8-14

I was involved in a discussion just the other day about when it would be appropriate to celebrate Mother's Day. In the U.S. the day is this next Sunday. The same in South America. In Mexico, it is next Friday. It so happens that we attend a church that is a blend of Christians with several ethnicities and corresponding ethnic traditions. My response was "Este es los Estados Unidos."  Translation, "This is the United States". The implication - "when in Rome". Please do not misunderstand the purpose of the example. I think moms should be honored every day not just in May. Be it Sunday or Friday - take your pick - just don't forget to do it. 

My point is that, as Christians, we need to be sensitive to the fact that on the day of our rebirth, we were given a new ethnicity - with new traditions. 

"From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" - 2 Corinthians 5:16-18

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3:28

Be careful about making ethnic distinctions between Christians. Be careful about taking pride in your natural heritage - but rather boast in your new spiritual heritage and the unity salvation brings no matter what country you are from or live in - what color your skin is - even what day you celebrate Mother's Day.

"I [Jesus] do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." - John 17:20-21

I have written about this before. The United States is a secular, social experiment. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all is our stated purpose. That is not exactly how it has played out. As a people, we are not one, but we are different groups that coexist in one country. The oneness we seek can only be found by faith in 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

Show and Tell

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… —Matthew 28:19

“Jesus Christ did not say, “Go and save souls” (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but He said, “Go…make disciples of all the nations….” Yet you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself. The [Christian's] great essential is remaining true to the call of God. The challenge does not come from the fact that people are difficult to bring to salvation, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, or that there is a barrier of callous indifference. No, the challenge comes from the perspective of the [Christian's] own personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “Do YOU (sic) believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). Our Lord unwaveringly asks us that question, and it confronts us in every individual situation we encounter.” - My Utmost For His Highest

 Our new life is all about trusting God in all things for all things.  When Martie and I packed up and moved to Texas, we knew in our knower that God has called us.  And when we know, we go.  So we arrived but did not find what we expected to find … Waveland in Texas.  Instead God had led us to a very different place.  Instead of being in the middle of destruction, we were on the fringe of it.  We really expected to be immersed when we arrived, but we were not.  So we thought perhaps we misread the map and we should be in another place .. maybe we heard God wrong.  Then we began to meet with the people who are struggling with the loss that came with Hurricane Harvey.  The stress.  The hopelessness.  That is when we saw Waveland in Texas.  Not in the houses around us but in the faces and voices of the people.  It is the people that we have been sent to help .. not their homes.  But one way we would help the people is through their homes.  When people approached Jesus because of their physical need, He always pointed them to their spiritual need .. the “true” source of their trouble.  It is so easy for us to drift over to the work and miss the main thing.  God wants to use all of us … Christians … to tell people about Jesus and salvation through Him.  About hope in despair.  About the faithfulness of God when your insurance company says we won’t give you what you need to restore your home.

But … “God will make a way Where there seems to be no way He works in ways we cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my guide Hold me closely to His side With love and strength For each new day He will make a way”.  That is a song written by Don Moen.  That is the message that we have for the people here.  Its proof is demonstrated through the help that they receive through us.  Whether it’s us rebuilding homes or you coming alongside someone struggling with life, we are called to be salt and light. People seeing Jesus in us.  We know that there is nothing that we can do that will have eternal value that is a result of the work of our hands.  But God can speak through all of us as we serve others.  In Matthew 25 is the story of the sheep and the goats.  The sheep are going to heaven .. the goats are not.  In the case of the sheep Jesus commended them for doing good things to Him and the goats were condemned for not.  Both the sheep and the goats asked the same question.  “Lord, When did we see you?”  He answered to the sheep “When you did it for others, you did it for Me.” And to the goats “When you did not do it for others, you did not do it for Me.”  If Jesus is Lord then you will reach out to people who are in need.  Not just to give them water that will satisfy for the moment, but to give them living water that will satisfy for eternity.

So to make the bottom line the last line.  Be careful that you don’t look at your circumstances and assume that God has not led you there because what you are facing is beyond you.  That is a perfect opportunity for God to show His power and lift up His Son. You can’t save anybody, but you can tell everybody. Let them see Jesus through you. Show and tell.

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

One Thing Remains - His Love Never Gives Up

‘Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is— “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).’ My Utmost For His Highest

 I think God uses marriage – the life commitment between a man and a woman – as a way to show us what our relationship with Him is like.  In a marriage the two people experience heartache and joy. But the covenant they have made is not dependent upon those experiences.  It transcends what they experience.  They don’t abandon each other because of hardship … distress .. loss … sickness … or financial trouble … but they stay true to each other.  In the same way .. we have a Father in heaven who loves us and will never leave us … He is by nature faithful … He will be nothing else …. but we are not always the faithful partner … we find ourselves committed to a conditional relationship … so long as things go our way … we are in .. but if we have problems … well … we might just have to find someone else … Hosea and Gomer are a picture of how we often treat our relationship with God …

 Living by faith is so much more than happy thoughts … or well-crafted words on an email … but living in the daily grind of life … facing whatever comes our way with confidence in our relationship with the creator God. Knowing that we have joy and peace not because of the circumstances that surround us, but because of the God who loves us.

Song  (One Thing Remains)

 “Higher than the mountains that I face,  Stronger than the power of the grave,  Constant through the trial and the change,  One thing… Remains

 Your love never fails, never gives up  Never runs out on me

 On and on and on and on it goes, It overwhelms and satisfies my soul, And I never, ever, have to be afraid  ....  One thing remains

 In death, In life, I’m confident and covered by the power of Your great love,  My debt is paid, there’s nothing that can separate my heart from Your great love...”

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

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

Getting Along With Others

"Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:17-21

Is there someone with whom you have a broken relationship. Someone that you cannot be reconciled to? My assumption is that it remains broken is not because you do not seek it, but that they reject your attempts at being reconciled to them. At least that is my hope.  Our role in a broken relationship, I think, is that we are not to harbor any ill will toward others. To initiate the attempt to be reconciled, having an attitude of forgiveness. We are willing to extend forgiveness, just like God has done. What people do with it is up to them - just like it is with man toward God. Even though God has offered grace and mercy through Jesus, people who reject His offer are bound for hell. Not God's choice - it's theirs. 

Like the prodigal son.  The father looked to where the road crested the hill every day with hopes that one day he would see his son returning. We need to be ready to receive the prodigals in our lives should they repent and return. But it may not happen. And like the father, who did not chase after the son, we must wait for a change of heart. Hoping every day that it will happen - saddened at the thought that it may not.

In the meantime - we pray for them and look to the hill. 

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

Defending Your Faith

"These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 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 2:13-14

Sin blinds the natural man from understanding spiritual truth. The disparity between what is right and acceptable by the world's standards and our faith and Biblical truth has become increasingly obvious in these days. I say "obvious" because the disparity has always been there - just not so glaring. We live in an age of instant information, when someone can sneeze in China and a person in New York will say "Gesundheit" or "God Bless You".  Christianity, in the U.S, in particular, has become politicized.  It is not viewed so much as Theology, " the study of the nature of God and religious belief" - but as an Ideology, which is "a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy".

Frankly that is the best the world can be expected do in understanding who Christians are. What we say we believe and the way we live (or should live) is considered to be foolishness to "natural" man - those who are not born again by the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus. That is assuming that the way we live is consistent with what we say we believe. When it is, we open ourselves to justifiable criticism from the world. Too often we live a Christian-like life that is an amalgamation of Biblical Truth and worldly wisdom.  

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." - John 15:18-19

Our faith is offensive to those who hate God. So, what to do. It's simple really. Embrace the Truth. Live by Faith. Love God and love others. Resist the Devil. Put on the Full armor of God. Every day. 

"You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." - 1 Peter 2:9-12

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 For Today Or For Eternity

Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good… —1 Peter 4:19 

“Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.” OSWALD CHAMBERS 

When I was in the Army, I used to say that we practiced being miserable. In many respects that was true.  It is often necessary for the military to go places that are difficult, and, yes, dangerous.  Would God send His children to difficult and dangerous places, absolutely.  For many Christians in the United States, their definition of a difficult place is when there is no air conditioning. The fact is, that in order to find yourself in a difficult or dangerous place, you must be willing to say “yes” to His calling. Jesus said ....

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”  - Matthew 16:24-25

Frankly speaking, most of us are not willing to walk that path of rejection and rebuke.  Living a life with nowhere to lay your head. (Luke 9:58) 

Years ago, a volunteer asked me, while in the midst of the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina, “Do you like being in Mississippi?”  I told them that no one had ever asked me that question before.  After thinking about it for a moment, I answered, “There is nothing better than being in the center of God’s will for your life. Geography has nothing to do with it. So, yes, I love being in Mississippi.”  It really boils down to whether your focus is on you or God. Whether you go and do or not when God says go and do will tell the tale. God’s affirmation is not pouring out of material wealth and comfort.  It is certainly not sleeping in an airconditioned room when you volunteer in a third world country or in an area devastated by a natural disaster. Pastor Rick Warren said, “God is more concerned with your character than your comfort.”  Are you OK with that? God does not change so when you are faced with adversity, the “change” ball is in your court. 

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

Fulfilling Your Calling

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

“When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not ours. God providentially weaves the threads of His call through our lives, and only we can distinguish them. The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. Isaiah was so attuned to God, because of the great crisis he had just endured, that the call of God penetrated his soul. The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

When you think of someone being called by God .. hearing God’s voice … do you think of Isaiah, Moses, Abraham, Paul, maybe Billy Graham? 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 Arnold Palmer or 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 the place of 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 to God's revealed will for your life - your calling?  “Oh, I could never be like (fill in the blank)” We are all being conformed into the image of Jesus.  We are called into a new life.  Not to be like another Christian, but to be like Jesus. And that is not humanly possible but only possible by faith and the power of God. We all have a common mission but diverse roles in that mission.

Our problem is embracing that Truth, believing that Truth and walking in that Truth.  Seeing it as 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 merely living life on this planet .. doing the best you can to get along with your new nature running in the background.  Waiting for heaven. 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 [YOU] are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for [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