This World Is Not My Home

"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" - Ephesians 2:19

We all were once foreigners toward God, but no longer. We, once born again, are now strangers and foreigners in the world we live our physical lives in. That means that we are no longer part of the culture that we live in. I don’t know if you’ve ever traveled in a foreign country, where you didn’t speak the language or even understand it. Everyone who does is doing just fine. But you don’t understand what’s being said or why things are being done in a certain way.

Martie and I have traveled out of the country some. I’ve been deployed to foreign countries when I was in the Army. Martie and I have traveled to Belgium and lived in Haiti for a little over four years. Each time I picked up a little bit of the language but was never close to being fluent. To use that as an analogy, some Christians living in this country and others have learned to speak the language of the culture and even to identify with that culture as their own. Why wouldn't they since they were physically born into it. They accept its ways, embrace its values and becoming fluent in the "language" of the country in which they live. Some other Christians may only learn a few words and so when they speak the local people know they are foreigners. And of course there are travelers who don’t understand a word, don't "do as the Romans do when in Rome", and are aware that they are just visiting, just passing through and soon they will be going home.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

The Bible makes it clear that we are not to embrace the culture that we live in. The one we were saved from. That our citizenship is in heaven. We belong to the family of God. We have a new ethnicity in Christ. Abraham's offspring though Isaac and Jesus.

"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 2:11-12

So what’s my point. It’s so important, especially in this day and time, to always keep who we are in Christ in the forefront of our thoughts. The fact that we are not part of the culture we live and work in, that we are strangers in a foreign land, should be apparent in the way we treat people, in what we value and in our devotion to God. And this is my encouragement to you today.

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

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

The Road To Repentance And Restoration

"And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin" John 16:8-9

There is a pattern that people follow on their way to getting right with God. Jesus told the disciples that the Father would the Helper, the Holy Spirit with the expressed purpose of bringing conviction of sin in the hearts of men and women. When conviction comes two things can happen. One, the person can reject that conviction and go on their way, lost, accusing God of being a liar who has convicted them of the sin and deceiving themselves. Two, the person can yield to that conviction, confessing that they are guilty, and repenting. Turning away from the sin and turning toward God who forgives.

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." - 1 John 1:8-10

A couple of examples that come to mind, King David and the Prodigal Son. King David sinned with Bathsheba and was confronted by the Prophet Nathan - God spoke through the prophets in the Old Testament. David came under conviction of his sin, confessed before God and repented. God brought restoration.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise." - Psalm 51:10-17

The son had sinned, came under conviction, confessed to his father and repented. His father restored him. Do you see the tread.

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry." - Luke 15:20-24

Don't be satisfied with having sin harbored in your heart. Don't you see that it separates you from intimacy with the Father. You are still a son or daughter - but God desires to walk in the Garden with you. To do that, you must have a clean heart. 

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

Walk By The Spirit

"So I [Paul] say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." - Galatians 5:16

My basic goal in writing these devotions is to encourage you to think about your faith and your role in this magnificent story of life. We all must have our heads on a swivel, as we used to say in the Army. Being spiritually aware of what is happening around you.

You may not read all of these posts or read them at all. But I hope that seeing them pop-up on Facebook makes you think about the Lord and not me. Life is demanding on our time.  We are constantly making choices about what we will and won't do. My encouragement is to choose well. There are certain "must do's" in life. Like work or school or some other activity that you cannot negotiate on. I hope that time with the Lord is one of those as well. Very often the "must do's" in our lives come in direct conflict with our "prefer to do's". "Do I go to church or sleep in?"

We must be spiritually aware as we travel on this earthly road. I was thinking about my time in Vietnam. I was a 19 year old radio operator with MAC-V Advisory Team 68 in the Mekong Delta. I would often go on patrols with a Lieutenant and a Vietnamese platoon.  We always had a Kit Carson Scout with us. Think Indian scout with the Cavalry. These guys had been the enemy at one time, Viet Cong or VC, but had been repatriated. As we would walk on a trail in the rice paddy tree lines, the Scout would say - don't step there.  I didn't see anything, but he did.  It might have been a punji stake, a trip wire with a hand grenade ( a poor man's IED) or maybe a rigged artillery shell. His eyes were trained to see the danger.  Mine were not. I paid attention!  Well, that is what it is like for us Christians. There are dangers that our untrained eyes cannot see. We all need to be told to "not step there!" 

"[Paul] making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened" - Ephesians 1:16-17

We need spiritual eyesight as we walk by the Spirit. You might think of me, and others who encourage the Saints, as Kit Carson Scouts.  

Be mindful of who you are in Christ and the life you have been called to live. Discipleship is important - maintaining a close relationship with the Lord is more important." And that takes effort.

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 Spiritual Side Of Forgiveness

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." - Matthew 18:15-17

Is there someone in your life who has offended you and refuses to be reconciled? Are they a Christian? That is an important distinction. You cannot expect fresh water to come from a bad spring. In that same way you cannot expect someone who is not born again to behave like they are. Either way, saved or not, the principles of how you are to respond to them are the same, I think. The verses in Matthew 18 have to do with a Christian who sins against you.  In this case, part of the same local church. If that brother fails to repent, then you are to treat them like he/she were not saved. It is a little more complicated if the person is not local.  That leads me to the idea of forgiveness of an unrepentant brother. (BTW, very often this is about a relative or a friend who may or may not be born again). What does the Bible say?

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do." - Colossians 3:12-13

So then how did Christ forgive us? When we came under conviction of our sin, admitted it and repented. When did we stop being angry with the person who offended us when we thought about the issue? I think that when we stop getting angry - when love has taken over.  We can't extend biblical forgiveness in the absence of conviction of sin and repentance. God has set the example for us. He loved us while we were yet sinners, but didn't ignore the sin which caused us to be separated from Him - So He sent Jesus who saves us from sin and the Spirit who convicts us of sin. Then it's up to us to confess and repent. Sadly some people we care about will never do that - they have hardened hearts.

So what do you do? Don't use their rebuff of your attempts at reconciliation to be an excuse to hold a grudge or them with disdain when you see them. Instead, let them see Christ in you. "Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, [and] longsuffering"

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

Repentance Or Forgiveness - Which Comes First?

 "Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation…" —2 Corinthians 7:10

“ …  Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). ... Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes. […] The foundation of Christianity is repentance. […] If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Forgiveness is a supernatural act.  There is a progression that leads to forgiveness.  As Christians we sin.  We come under conviction. That conviction produces godly sorrow which leads to repentance. Repentance leads to forgiveness and restoration.  Think about that.  Granting forgiveness without repentance is called enabling.  Even though you will be tempted, don't give someone a "pass" because you feel sorry for them.  That means you don’t love them enough to get to the point of repentance which brings healing and restoration.  

Think about the parable of the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-32)  What is the remarkable point of that story?  God is the “father” and we are the “wayward son”.  The father loved the son, but did not go after the son to convince him to come home. The father waited for the son to be convicted, to repent of his sin and return to the father seeking forgiveness.  The son did not even imagine that he would be restored as a son.  The best he hoped for was to be treated like a hired hand.  An evidence of a broken and humble heart.  Every day, the father looked to the hills in the hope that his son would repent one day and return.  He loved his son.  He loved him enough to let the process take its course … even though the father hated what his son was going through.  The father knew that until his son’s heart was changed, there could be no restoration.

That is true for us as well.  We are commanded to forgive, but we must be careful that the forgiveness is not misapplied … and abused.  That means we must exercise spiritual discernment and emotional restraint.  We must be ready to forgive, as we have been forgiven. (Ephesians 4:32) But remember, forgiveness and restoration comes after conviction of sin and repentance and not before.

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 One Is Not The Loneliest Number

"Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.  ..... I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." - John 17:11-12, 20-21

I have addressed this issue before, but I think it bears repeating.  Although people have not fully understood it - the existence of the triune Godhead is fact - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I will not presume that I have deciphered the mystery - by some Divine insight into the Trinity. I can only speak to what the Bible plainly reveals. And, to my understanding, the Bible speaks to distinctive roles for each member of the Trinity. We know that Jesus prayed to the Father and was faithful to the will of the Father. That the Father sent the Son to make a way for sinful man to be restored to the Father. (John 3:16) And we know that the Father sent the Spirit as a helper to the Saints.

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." - John 14:26

We know that Jesus is our high priest making intercession for us with the Father.

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." - Hebrews 4:14-15

We know that God the Father predestined us to adoption as his children by Jesus to Himself

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." - Ephesians 1:3-6

We know that God the Father has sealed us on the day of our salvation with the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our eternal inheritance as the children of God. 

"In Him [Jesus] also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him [the Father] who works all things according to the counsel of His [the Father's] will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His [the Father's] glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." - Ephesians 1:12-14

Lastly, we know that  we are loved by the Father and called his children.

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." - 1 John 3:1-2

I am certain you are aware that I am not a theologian. Not even close! Having said that, I very often hear people mixing up who it is they are praying to. I have heard it in nearly every church I have attended. One moment the person is praying to the Father, then the next to Jesus, and then, directly or indirectly, perhaps unintentionally, referring to Jesus as the Father. In a simple form but not limited to this example someone might say words like "we ask these things Father and in your name we pray." That is reference to Jesus command to ask in His name when we pray to the Father. So is that a big deal? Well, I think it speaks to a drifting away from teaching the fundamentals of the faith. The trinity is a mystery to be sure. When the Father is referred to as the Son or the Son as the Father, it always gets my attention. And if prayed in that way before a group of people, then it is teaching those people something that is not true. The fact is that although the Father and Jesus are one (John 17) and Jesus prays that we would be like they are, they are not one and the same. Else why would Jesus tell the disciples to pray like this.

[Jesus said] "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."- Matthew 6:8-13

I think about stuff like this. Although I will never argue about how many angels can stand on the head of a pin,  I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.

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

Hearing From God

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." - John10:27

Do you believe that God speaks to ordinary people? Well, when I say "ordinary" I am referring to ordinary Christians. If you are not a Christian you do not have the capacity to hear God because God is Spirit and if you are lost, you are spiritually dead. I am not making this up!

"Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." - John 8:47

"The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." - 1 Corinthians 2:14

So have you? Heard from God that is. I know for some that is a little more "spiritual" than they are comfortable with. I am certain that you know or know about someone who claimed that they had heard from God to justify some "bizarre", unbiblical behavior. There are charlatans, there are always charlatans in every generation. That being said, I am convinced that God has in the past and does today, speak to His children. Just ordinary kids, like you and me.  Why? Because He loves us. A lot!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." - John 3:16-17

God did not save us from our sins only to ignore us. Just to give us the silent treatment. He wants to have a relationship with us. A personal relationship. Personal means intimate. Intimate means communication - verbal and non-verbal. I know - it is difficult to imagine that the Creator God would have time for any of us - well maybe the super-Christians - but that's it. Certainly not for a spiritual nobodies. Wrong!! In God's eyes, we are all somebodies!

So how does He speak to us? Glad you asked. Four ways but typically not exclusively in only one way. Since Jesus ascended and the Father sent the Spirit as a helper - and we need help! God speaks by the Spirit through prayer - one on one time with God, the Bible - which according to Timothy is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness so that the servant of God (us) may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Josiah said that if we meditate on the Word we will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8). Of course that means you have to read the Bible. Hello!?!?!?

God also speaks through life - circumstances in our lives - often times events that are inexplicitly coincidental.  I like to call them God-incidences. And fourth, through other Christians. A Christian may have a word from God for you. They have the same spiritual father and have the very same Spirit indwelling them. And very often, other Christians will confirm what God has said though the Word, prayer and/or circumstances.  Very often it is two or three ways, not just one.

I could share many instances in our lives over the years, when it has been clear that we heard from God. It always brings us to a crisis of belief. A place that requires faith and action on our part which means we have to adjust our lives to obey what God has said.  And maybe you are thinking, "I don't know if I want to hear from God!" Oh yes you do my friend - yes you do!

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