Trusting God In Spite Of What I See

"I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth." —Genesis 9:13

“Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God— a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22). When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

You may have heard the saying “Those who can’t do, teach.” Well, that may be true for some, but there are many teachers who are masters at their discipline and have chosen to teach others in that discipline, communicating their skills and knowledge they have gained in “the real world” in the classroom.  In the same way, I could not write the words that I do, had I not experienced what I write about.  That is the nature of discipleship.  I can study books that tell me about flying, but unless I actually have flown, it’s all hypothetical.  So …. as I read Chambers this morning … I was reminded of our faith journey.  God has called Martie and me to a life that is unfettered from conventional wisdom.  In other words, we do things that don’t make sense to “reasonable-rational” men … that is if you want a secure retirement and to live the American dream.  Nothing wrong with those things .. that is unless they are the source of your saying “no” to God.  If that is the case, they are stumbling blocks and should be tossed aside.

The most important question for a Christian to answer is .. “Do I trust God?”  if not, then you trust something else.  Abraham followed God and did not know where he was going.  He trusted God without seeing.  Life is like that.  We should not presume that we can get ahead of God. Martie and I are in the center of His will for us, of that we are confident.  We are doing what He called us to do.  Worldly consequences are not the measure of the “rightness” of the call.  If things don’t seem to be going the way you thought they would or should … will you still follow God and walk in obedience to what you “do” know? Or will you want to turn back like Israel facing the Red Sea. People asked Noah where the rain was.  It was on its way, but God was holding it back. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we must be obedient to what we know 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

A Demonstrated Heart For God

“…that I may know Him…” - Philippians 3:10

“We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy a quiet spiritual retreat. We are here to have the full realization of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of building His body. Am I building up the body of Christ, or am I only concerned about my own personal development? The essential thing is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To fulfill God’s perfect design for me requires my total surrender— complete abandonment of myself to Him. Whenever I only want things for myself, the relationship is distorted. And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

I met a guy while I was working on a house in Houston after Hurricane Harvey.  He had come to measure for replacement windows. As it turned out, he owned the business.  One of the first things you notice about this particular guy is that he is very strong .. Arnold Schwarzenegger strong.  It is obvious that he spends a lot of time in the gym.  Getting past that and the unspoken challenge to your own manhood, the next thing you notice is that he is very kind.  As we talked, I learned that he was a man of faith and a Brother in Christ. When I posted a picture of us on Facebook someone commented about his biceps. That is because they are disproportionately large for his stature.  But what you could not see on Facebook was the size of his heart and the depth of his faith in the Lord. Although he obviously was concerned about building up his body, He was more concerned about the Body of Christ.  He told me that he would not charge anything for the windows or the labor - it was a gift for the homeowner.  When I mentioned he might be recognized for it, he balked at the thought.  Why? Because with his heart from God comes humility before God.  It was a picture of Micah 6:8

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

If we do anything for God then we should be ready to give all the credit to God.  My new friend spoke a lot about God’s grace.  Unmerited favor.  He was shown grace in his life and was showing grace to others.  Showing grace and mercy to others will cost you something .. but when your heart is right, it is a price you will gladly pay. 

“No greater love has one man than this, but to lay down his life for his friends.”  - John 15:13

That was not a simple act of benevolence .. it was a spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1-2). 

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

Be The Light

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world." - John 1:6-9 

I can't remember how many times I have written "Be the Light" at the end of one of my devotions. Sounds good but it falls short of the truth. Like John the Baptist - the greatest man that ever lived according to Jesus (Luke7:28), we are not the light, but we are sent to bear witness to the Light.

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12

The light is Jesus. 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." - 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

We have all been given the ministry of reconciliation - like John the Baptist. As ambassadors of Christ we are to implore the world to be reconciled to God (the Father) through Jesus the Son. The Light that was sent into the darkness. Do you see it? Do you receive it? Do you embrace it? Jesus is the Light and we are little lights sent out to share the Good News with words and the way we live and love.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house." - Matthew 5:13-15

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

Seeking Vindication And Justification For Loving Things That Do Not Honor God

"Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt." —Psalm 123:3

"What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives. Beware of “the cares of this world…” (Mark 4:19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by “the cares of this world.” Another thing that distracts us is our passion for vindication. St. Augustine prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

There are things in this world that are spiritually neutral. In other words, they don’t have a positive or negative spiritual consequence. The problem is that our discernment can become dulled to those things that have negative consequences but are acceptable in our culture but contrary to the Word.  

“Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." - Proverbs 4:23

There are certain things in everyone’s life that we cling to, even though, in our heart, we know they are not right.  There are things that we teach our children are wrong, yet we will sit in our living rooms and watch those wrong things being played out on the television screen or in a movie theater.  What you allow in your home through music and visual media is a statement by you to your children that those things are acceptable.  Do this.  The next time you watch your favorite television show, count those things (words or relationships) that are contrary to the Word of God.  Each one is a lesson.  There is an old adage “Do as I say, not as I do.”  Well, I would suggest that the lesson being taught in many homes is, “Don’t do as I say, do as I do.”  I can remember when I was a little boy, my dad told me not to smoke because it was bad for me.  All the while he was smoking a cigarette.  What is the “real” message there?  If you want to be like me, then you should smoke.

When we observe sin, vicariously, we convince ourselves that it is entertainment and not “really all that bad”.  What we don’t realize is that our flesh is at the root of it.  Sin is attractive to our flesh because our flesh is sinful.  Look, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig!  Whether it is language, life style, or sinful behavior … it promotes those things that are supposed to have been crucified in your life. Bottom line, if you crave those things, you have a sin problem.  Hope you don’t stop reading my devotions because of that!  Our country has a problem with violence and the most popular television shows are about people killing people.  Parents fear their daughters getting pregnant before marriage, yet most movies and television dramas portray and promote extra-marital sex.  The same media that is slamming men for sexual aggression toward women is promoting Victoria Secret in China, the world’s sexiest man, and promoting women as sex objects at every turn.  Think about it Church!  It’s the frog in the pot.  Christians are being boiled alive … and they think the water is just right!  Don’t try to vindicate yourself .. justify your actions .. confess and repent .. honor God in all you do.

"Finally, brothers, 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

Be careful that you are not turning your spiritual nature off when you turn your TV on, sit down in a movie theater or gather with other people.  

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 Temptation To Jump Off A Bridge

"Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

Has your new life in Christ made a difference in the way you live .. in what you value .. in what you do?   Making the transition from the old nature to the new nature is troublesome for most Christians.  Embracing the idea of being forgiven and going to heaven is easy compared to submitting your will to God everyday .. every moment. Will you lay your life down on the altar. (Romans 12:1-2)

Did your mom ever ask you in response to your saying “all my friends are doing it”, “If your friends jumped off of a bridge would you too?” We have been called to follow after God, but it is so much easier to choose to follow the majority instead.  The Bible says “Don’t give Satan a foothold” 

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." - Ephesian 4: 29-32

But what if the other Christians you hang out with are doing some of those things?  Are they really that bad?  Watching the wrong things, saying the wrong things … doing the wrong things … Good question.  In fact that question has been asked many times over the centuries.  The first time was in the Garden.  “Did God really say you will surely die?”  When you ask a question like that, you are suggesting that God is wrong in telling you not to.  Listen .. It is easier to give in to sin than it is to the Holy Spirit.  You don’t have to fight your natural will when you do.  I am not trying to send you on a guilt-trip but want to challenge you to consider where you are in your spiritual walk.  The choices you make. What needs to change in your life?  You don’t know?  Read the word and pray about it.  The Spirit of God will reveal it to you. 

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

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 Your Heart In Tune

"They said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." —Exodus 20:19

“We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God— we simply don’t listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them— not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, “Well, that’s only your own idea, even though I don’t deny that what you said is probably God’s truth." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

I am certain that you know already how it is that God speaks to us.  By His Spirit, through prayer, the Word, circumstances, and other believers (the Church).  Of the four ways, the common point is the Spirit.  Our relationship with the Father is a spiritual one not a physical one.  I know, I know, tell you something that you don’t already know.  The problem is not in the knowing .. it’s in the remembering and after the remembering in the obeying.  To receive what the Spirit says to you, you must be in tune with the Spirit.  In other words, your heart must be right.  You must be ready and willing to hear.  Some years ago, a friend of mine and I were preaching at a revival at a small church in Mississippi. He was also responsible for leading the singing.  He had brought his guitar and his two sons with him.  Unbeknownst to him, while he was speaking, his sons detuned his guitar .. not maliciously, but out of curiosity and innocence.  All was well until he played the first chord.  A strange noise came from the guitar that did not sound at all like a “C” chord. There are 6 strings on a guitar.  His fingers were in the right place on the fret board.  But the guitar was mis-tuned.  Being fast on his feet, he announced that we would sing acapella that night.

In the same way, you can be on the right place … in church, Bible study, quiet time, prayer closet .. wherever, but if your heart is out of tune … if you have unconfessed sin … if you are self-focused, when the Spirit speaks … you won’t hear a “C” chord.  Your heart will resonate something else.  

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:24-25

Before a performance musicians check the tuning of their instruments.  It sounds like a jumble of sounds if there is more than one instrument.  But then, the conductor gets their attention, and everyone focuses on the conductor and they play together in harmony.  What was noise, cacophony I think is the word, becomes a thing of beauty.  When we obey the Spirit .. when we are living in tune with God, our lives become a thing a beauty and shine like the morning sun in a dark and desperate world.  So, tune up my friend … this world needs to hear your song.

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

Just One Letter Out Of Place

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." -  2 Timothy 2:15

If you are in Texas reading this then you know that there was a BIG rodeo event in Houston recently. As part of the event, Fort Hood sent their ceremonial cavalry unit to participate.  They interviewed a couple of the young soldiers in their garb.  One of them identified themselves as being from the First Calvary Division. No, I did not mis-spell it. The soldier mis-pronounced it. It is a common error. (I bet their commander winced when they heard it and I doubt that not many civilians caught it) I was in the 3rd Armored Cavalry - Aviation Squadron for almost 3 years. I heard people say Calvary when they meant to say Cavalry all the time. BTW, to all you who served in the 3rd Cav - Brave Rifles!

The words are so close. But just one letter out of place makes a world of difference. Is it a military unit or the spiritual pivot point for all of humanity. A friend of ours used to say, "If you get the "I" out of place in "United", it becomes "Untied". One letter out of place. The difference is Jesus. Jesus makes Calvary significant for eternity. Jesus brings unity by faith and rebirth for eternity. 

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