Is That You, God?

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21

Have you ever seen a miracle? Some time back I saw a miracle happen.  God showed up in an impossible situation.  My oldest sister, who had significant lung and heart problems was in the hospital.  Her lungs had stopped working.  She was on a ventilator.  The hospital staff was trying to prepare the family for the inevitable.  The family had accepted the fact that our sister was not leaving the hospital alive this time.  While I was talking with my sister she wrote on a pad of paper, "I may go to heaven today"  She was ready. 

In 1976, as a brand spanking new Christian, I was blessed to participate in my sister surrendering her life to the Lord.  In the hospital, in preparation for her death, I had reminded her of that. Of whose she was, a child of the King.  That her hope was in Heaven.  That God knows her name, she is not forgotten. I had put the call out for prayer to the Saints. Her children and husband had asked me to pray for her, multiple times over the past few days.  They had a look of desperation in their eyes. They were helpless and perhaps, hopeless.  And then, God showed up. The unimaginable happened. The doctor removed the ventilator tube and she started breathing on her own.  The previous morning she was making her peace with God.  Saying her last goodbyes. Family was flying in, expecting the worst.  The next afternoon, she was sitting in a chair, eating and talking.

I was talking to her daughter after the miracle about faith and confidence in God.  So very often when we pray, we pray without real hope.  We are really not expecting God do intervene.  Oh, we would love it if He did, but we don't have the confidence that He will.  Perhaps He is not really listening.  I reminded her of Jesus responding to Peter on the water and the disciples in the boat … "Why did you doubt?' "Where is your faith?"

As I looked around the waiting room in CICU, I saw relief on the faces of those who loved my sister. But I was amazed to see that they missed the fact that Jesus had just showed up in their midst.  He reached out His hand and pulled Sherrie up from the water.  He had stretched out His hand and said, "Peace, be still." to the storm that was raging in CICU that day.  No glory to God. No recognition of God's answered prayer.  They focused on what happened - Sherrie was not going to die - and not why she was not going to die.  

This has given me pause to reflect.  Proverbs 3:5-6 are verses that are part of the scriptural foundation in my life.  That day, I was reminded that, for the most part, people don't trust in God but see the world in the light of their own understanding.  The lost, blind to spiritual things, are incapable of seeing God at work, although they do see the result of His working.  They just don't know why something happened.  But the Saints should have been shouting Hallelujah in the halls, instead they were looking for their car keys so they could go home and get some rest. 

I want to encourage you to be watchful and aware.  This faith of ours is not a vain faith.  The Bible does not just represent some nice thoughts that help us get through life.  God is real.  He still intervenes in the affairs of man.  He hears the prayers of the Saints. And from time to time, He shows up and does something miraculous.  This time, it was for my sister's good and for His glory. And I praise Him for it.  Hallelujah!

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

For Those Who Thirst

So many people I meet struggle with much pain in their lives.  Often, they turn to their own means of compensating or coping with it.  Many times their solutions are debasing and destructive.  They may not even know why they do what they do.  Is it something that happened to them?  Or maybe it is their sin nature?  Are they evil?  They fear it is one or all of them.  They feel helpless and hopeless.  Lost in the power of the hurt, habit, or hang-up. 

The Lord has been showing this struggle to me.  It is a lesson in understanding their feeling of futility.  The help and the hope people need seems just out of reach, but that is a lie from the pit of hell.  God is able to do more than we can ask or think.  He can make us whiter than snow.  He can give us peace .. he can give us a new understanding of ourselves and a vision for the future. If only ....

Very often - we on the outside - observing the lives of others wonder why they don't just fix themselves - change their lives - why they seem to be content with being enslaved to their circumstances and past hurts.  We might even take a position of judgement and condemnation. A position that is not ours to take.  Perhaps we fear that showing grace and mercy towards others might have the effect of enabling the behavior. When we show grace and mercy toward others it is never acceptance of the behavior but an understanding of the root cause and sharing the cure which is faith in Jesus.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already" - John 3:16-18

We must capture the essence of what it means to be a new creature in Christ.  It is the "in Christ" part that we miss so often. And then we must be ready to reach out and offer living water to those who thirst.

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

Oh Yes, I Am The Great Pretender

(These are some thoughts that I captured on paper in 2012 that I stumbled upon while clearing some files from my computer  -  in these 10 years the struggle remains the same. Such is the nature of mankind)

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2

I recently had a discussion about how someone can lead a spiritual meeting and all the while have unconfessed sin in their heart - be struggling with their own spirituality.  The Lord is showing me how.  We can appear to be right on the outside but not be right on the inside.  We all fall into sin from time to time.  Somehow forgetting that we must surrender to the Spirit .. to acknowledge our sin .. to confess it and to turn away from it.  But sin has an attraction to our flesh .. it can be strong and if we are not careful we will submit to it and then struggle to get away, but it has a firm grip on us.  I had the image a wrestler who has his opponent pinned to the mat.  No matter how the opponent tries, they cannot free themselves. 

The Lord will remind us that we have feet of clay and are never more than a thought away from captivity.  The Lord shows me my heart and my weakness apart from Him.  What He has me doing is for the purpose of bringing glory to the Father and showing many the way to the kingdom .. but the enemy is strong.  He has and will continue to come against us.  Sin crouches at our doorstep.  (Genesis 4:7) Satan knows our flesh is weak .. The Lord will show us our weaknesses and has warned us to turn from the temptation and to trust in His Word.

And yet, many of us choose to walk in fear of being found out that we are not perfect.  We can get comfortable with carrying sin around with us, not understanding that because of that sin we have no spiritual power. 

I am reminded of a song by the Platters. 

"Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender, Pretending that I'm doing well, My need is such I pretend too much, I'm lonely but no one can tell

Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender, Adrift in a world of my own I've played the game but to my real shame, You've left me to grieve all alone

Too real is this feeling of make-believe, Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal" - Buck Ram, 1955

To this, for myself I say, "I hear you Lord and will obey you.  Guard my eyes and heart Lord.  Give me wisdom that is from heaven so I can give the proper counsel to others.  Be my strength lest I fall." 

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

Making It To The Top - Almost

In Greek mythology Sisyphus or Sisyphos (/ Sis a fuss /); was the founder and king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). Zeus punished him for cheating death twice by forcing Sisyphus to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down every time it neared the top, repeating this action for eternity .

I don't know if you have read any Greek mythology when you were in highschool but  I did.  I won't go into any more detail than to say that I have used the myth of Sisyphus a number of times as an analogy for a number of life's circumstances.  One in particular is this new life in Christ that we live. What does it take to get it right? To get to the top of the hill. It seems that being the Christian we are supposed to be can be just out of reach. Just when you think have it figured out - you find out that you don't.  Do you remember the rich young ruler?

"Now behold, one came and said to Him, 'Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?' So He said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.' He said to Him, 'Which ones?' Jesus said, 'You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' The young man said to Him, 'All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?' Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." - Matthew 19:16-22

"If you want to be perfect" The young man thought that doing or good works was his ticket to heaven. Did you notice that Jesus did not mention the greatest commandment? Love God with all ... Or did He? In fact the only commandments he mentioned were the last 6 of the 10 commandments with no mention of the first 4. Or perhaps He did. When He told the man to sell everything, it was because there was something he loved more than the Father - possessions. The young man had rolled the stone nearly all the way to the top when Jesus stopped him in his tracks and the stone rolled back to the bottom of the hill - again! 

When the man started the conversations, call Jesus good teacher, Jesus pointed him to the Father knowing his heart was far from God.

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." - 1 Timothy 6:10

Being conformed to the image of the Son of God is a process - it can be a painful one.  God will demand that you let lose of the things that your flesh loves and depends upon. That can only be done by faith.  The secret is to stop trying to push the stone and trust the one who made the stone and the hill.  I know I have shared this quote before but I love it so.

"I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am" - John Newton (he wrote Amazing Grace)

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

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

What My Life Is Like When Jesus Is Lord

While thinking about what my Christian life should be like - not what it is in actuality - I was reminded of the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. - Amen

My goal should be to live my life for God's glory and the good of mankind.  I don't know that I would want to give myself a grade in that regard. - a "C" maybe - would it be too proud to imagine a "C+".  We compare ourselves to other people when we want to feel good about ourselves - of course we pick people in the comparison who are deserving of an even lower grade. But when I compare myself to Jesus the One after which I call myself a disciple, I am reminded that I am but a jar of clay.  St. Francis' humble prayer reminds me that to fulfill my God-given purpose - to walk in a manner worthy of my calling.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,  endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. - Ephesians 4:1-3

So Jesus asked the Disciples who the people and then who the Disciples thought He was.  Peter answered rightly.

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 16:16-17

As a matter of fact, even the evil spirits knew who Jesus was and the spiritual power that He had as the Son of God.

Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!" - Mark 1:23-24

The question is - "Do I know who Jesus is?" not the baby Jesus lying in the manger, but Jesus crucified and resurrected.  The first born among many. My reconciliation to the Creator God. The Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). That recognition is not something I can figure out on my own - but must be revealed by God, the Father to me. 

The big question is this - what am I going to do about it? What are we going to do 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 Chicken Or The Egg (Standing In The Shadow Of Love)

Thoughts love - from the world's perspective and from God's. I won't go into the definitional distinctions, I am certain you have heard or read them many times. Put simply in comparison the world is standing in the shadow of love. The Four Tops sang a song by that title. 

Standin' in the shadow of love

I'm gettin' ready for the heartaches to come

Don't you see me standing in the shadow of love

Just tryin' my best to get ready for the heartaches to come, (1966. Dozier Lamont Herbert, Holland Brian)

I will get to the point of mentioning that song in a minute. Do you remember Jesus asking Peter if Peter loved Him? 

" So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 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 the 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

This conversation happened after Peter had denied Jesus and Jesus was subsequently crucified and resurrected. Jesus asked Peter if Peter loved Him with the kind of love that the world has to offer and then finally with the kind of love that God showed through Jesus and offered to everyone who is born again.

OK, back to standing in the shadow.  The love the world has to give is fickle, vulnerable to heartache - imperfect people trying to love one another - but very often dependent upon what each gets out of the relationship. Like giving you a gift but expecting something in return. Lost people are capable of demonstrating love - call it compassion - or passion - but it all comes from the natural. There are a lot of "good" - tender hearted people in the world who are not Christians. When natural love is shown those people are, in a way, fulfilling the second greatest commandment.  Do you remember Jesus answering the question about the greatest commandment?  

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40

This is the chicken and the egg part.  Which comes first? Everything - who we are in Christ - God's creative intent, hangs on those two commandments in the order they were given. The first commandment is to love God (that comes first) and then the second is to love others. Spiritual love has a spiritual effect, natural love has a natural effect. Natural is natural - spiritual is spiritual. Natural can never be spiritual but it can look a lot like it - but its source - even the good - is a result of human will and effort. Works if you will. Not only that but .... 

"We love Him because He first loved us."  1 John 4:19

In order for us to love God - the first part - He had to extend His love to us through His Son. Jesus was not asking Peter if Peter loved Jesus the man (natural), He was asking Peter if he loved Jesus the Son of God (Spiritual).  Peter had denied Jesus out of fear for his own well being - conditional love. The love that we are capable of showing to others, the second part, is because we love God who loved us first - its unconditional love - supernatural.

Don't imagine that people who are not Christian are incapable of showing love, of kindness, and doing good things for other people and if they do, it must have some spiritual source - it does not. They are merely living in the shadow of love. 

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

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

Just Enough Truth To Hide The Lie

"Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" - John 4:5-7

I was watching a television documentary on the National Geographic channel. It was about the universe and the earth. There were 8 astronauts with Will Smith as the narrator.  A lot of credibility. I respect them all for their accomplishments. But as I listened to the "scripted" narratives I noticed that they were presenting ideas as facts. Ideas based on the assumption that the universe started without God and man, against all odds, was the product of the right thing happening at the right time and God was no where to be found. God was not mentioned or credited in any of the episodes.  It was easy to get caught up in the magnificent videos and the convincing descriptions of their experiences.

There is a principle in logic called the fallacy of a false assumption. "This fallacy assumes that whatever it takes to make a premise true is already there, even if it is really absent or unknown."  In other words, there is no proof of what someone is saying - it is an assumption presumed to be fact by consensus.  The presentation was replete with the assumption that something was proven to be true when in fact, it was merely an unproven theory. However it was presented as a proven fact and not an unproven theory.  And why are these theories promoted as facts? Because the world does not want there to be a God -  a righteous judge - a source of all truth. Mankind wants to believe the lie that there is no God. The credit goes to science, chemistry, and the roll of the dice.  Needless to say, Martie and I were sorely disappointed in National Geographic, entertaining but deceptive.

So back to Satan. When Satan was testing Jesus in the wilderness, he was testing the "man", his flesh, and not "God".  He was challenging Jesus to prove that He was indeed the Son of God. Satan even used scripture out of context to test Jesus. But Jesus, who is the Word, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, put things in context. "Don't tempt God - the Father" It would have been a prideful act - perhaps even the first step to doubt.  Remember the question Satan asked Adam and Eve, "Did God really say ..... ?"  Well, as a matter of fact, He did.

Be careful that you don't just take what the world says is truth as truth - but when pressed cannot prove it. The world doesn't start in the beginning -  it can't. It starts with today and works backwards to the beginning, coming up with "reasonable" explanations of how things might have happened with no proof that they actually happened that way. 

" .. who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever" -  Romans 1:25

Be careful what you believe, Christian. 

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