Recently I was reflecting on Job's poignant observation recorded in Job 14:1, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble", and I was immediately reminded of the question posed in James 4:14b, "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." It occurred to me then that when each of us got out of bed this morning, there were many others who did not make it through the night. There are many who will not make it through to the end of today, whether through a timely or an untimely demise, but at some time or another, we all have an irrevocable appointment that we all must keep (Ecc. 3:2; Heb. 9:27a).
That God allowed us to be living in the moment, when He could have easily done otherwise, provokes the question, why? I firmly believe that we are all placed here for a reason. To the Israelites in Babylonian captivity the LORD said, "For I know the plans I have for you" (Jeremiah 29:11a), and I believe this knowing on God's part is applicable to each and every believer's life. It is no stroke of good fortune that God allowed our eyes to open this morning. He did it for a purpose, and lest we forget who we are and what that purpose is, Peter reminds us, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). Jesus told His disciples, and every disciple since, "You are the salt of the world ... you are the light of the world ... Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." (Matt. 5:13a, 14a; 28:19a).
It seems clear to me that our purpose for our allotted time here on earth has been clearly defined. Among other things We are to 1) be witnesses for Christ - wherever we are - in words and deeds, 2) show the way of Christ to a darkness filled world, 3) make disciples, and 4) to demonstrate the richness of a life that is fully surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. In the "few days" that you have been given, how effectively are you fulfilling your purpose? May God teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:10), and so commit ourselves to the fulfilling our true purpose.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Divine Favor
More times than not, knowing the right people can result in our being granted all kinds of favors. Even better when we know people of tremendous influence. We can bypass long line-ups, get access to places we normally wouldn't have, or couldn't afford, and the list goes on and on. Favor, obtained under the right circumstances, is not a bad thing.
I thought of this as I read the interaction between the LORD and Moses as recorded in Exodus 33. The LORD was speaking with Moses "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (v. 11), during which time Moses said, "See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people." (vv. 12-13). I'm intrigued by the rest of the conversation as we are told the LORD said, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest", to which Moses replied, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth" (vv. 14-16). This was some serious negotiation, but the LORD was not to be outdone. He responded, "I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name" (v. 17).
The word translated "grace" in the verse could also be translated "favor". The LORD, Jehovah, the Self-Existent, Eternal One, granted Moses' request because of favor. Talk about knowing Someone of tremendous influence! The wonderful thing is that this was not something that was obtainable by Moses. All of us who are born into the family of God are intimately acquainted with the LORD, and as long as we are walking in His ways, we too can find favor with Him. Can you imagine at the end of your prayer, hearing the whisper in your ear, "I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name."? Let us keep making our request known to God, in faith. We can rest assured that He not only hears us, but stand ready to act on our behalf because of the intimate relationship we have with Him. That really excites me. How about you?
I thought of this as I read the interaction between the LORD and Moses as recorded in Exodus 33. The LORD was speaking with Moses "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (v. 11), during which time Moses said, "See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people." (vv. 12-13). I'm intrigued by the rest of the conversation as we are told the LORD said, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest", to which Moses replied, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth" (vv. 14-16). This was some serious negotiation, but the LORD was not to be outdone. He responded, "I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name" (v. 17).
The word translated "grace" in the verse could also be translated "favor". The LORD, Jehovah, the Self-Existent, Eternal One, granted Moses' request because of favor. Talk about knowing Someone of tremendous influence! The wonderful thing is that this was not something that was obtainable by Moses. All of us who are born into the family of God are intimately acquainted with the LORD, and as long as we are walking in His ways, we too can find favor with Him. Can you imagine at the end of your prayer, hearing the whisper in your ear, "I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name."? Let us keep making our request known to God, in faith. We can rest assured that He not only hears us, but stand ready to act on our behalf because of the intimate relationship we have with Him. That really excites me. How about you?
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Bowing The Knees
A couple days ago I was reflecting on the account of Daniel's friends - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - before King Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in Daniel 3. Those familiar with the passage will recall that the king made an image of gold, and amidst much pomp and ceremony at the image's dedication, the announcement went out: "To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace" (vv. 4-6). The people did as commanded, but not all of them. Three Jewish boys remained standing, much to the chagrin of some of the king's men. They quickly went to the king and reported, "These men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (v. 12b), and after ordering the boys appear before him, the king reiterated the command to the boys - fall down and worship the image or be thrown in the furnace.
As I read the text, I greatly admired the boys' convictions and their response to Nebuchadnezzar: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (vv. 16-18). I camped on those verses for a while, after which certain words literally jumped out at me: "...our God whom we serve is able to...and he will". There was absolutely no doubt in their minds as to what their God could and would do, but even if He didn't do it, they would not serve the other gods. In the face of possible death, what steadfastness! What conviction!
It occurred to me then that we are faced with the same choices today, albeit of a different nature. As the world system builds its gods - those of self, pleasure, money, hedonism, to name a few - and as everyone dances to the music in celebration of those gods, how do you respond as child of God? Have you bowed the knees, or are you still standing? Standing for Christ in the face of adversity, especially when the consequences could include losing a job, one's life, friends, or whatever else, is not easy. But the child of God, firm in conviction as to what God can and could do, speaks with conviction: "our God whom we serve is able to deliver us ... and he will deliver us ... But if not, be it known ... that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image." That kind of conviction doesn't come without a cost. In an age of self-preservation and looking our for number one, are you willing to pay the price? That really is the cost of discipleship.
As I read the text, I greatly admired the boys' convictions and their response to Nebuchadnezzar: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (vv. 16-18). I camped on those verses for a while, after which certain words literally jumped out at me: "...our God whom we serve is able to...and he will". There was absolutely no doubt in their minds as to what their God could and would do, but even if He didn't do it, they would not serve the other gods. In the face of possible death, what steadfastness! What conviction!
It occurred to me then that we are faced with the same choices today, albeit of a different nature. As the world system builds its gods - those of self, pleasure, money, hedonism, to name a few - and as everyone dances to the music in celebration of those gods, how do you respond as child of God? Have you bowed the knees, or are you still standing? Standing for Christ in the face of adversity, especially when the consequences could include losing a job, one's life, friends, or whatever else, is not easy. But the child of God, firm in conviction as to what God can and could do, speaks with conviction: "our God whom we serve is able to deliver us ... and he will deliver us ... But if not, be it known ... that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image." That kind of conviction doesn't come without a cost. In an age of self-preservation and looking our for number one, are you willing to pay the price? That really is the cost of discipleship.
Send Me
It is not unusual to hear someone say they wished there were more than 24 hours in a day. That's usually because there's so much to do in what seem like so little time. The demands of life presses in on us so much so, that trying to find balance is like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack. So many things and people calling for our attention, and to take on anymore responsibilities means that something else will have to give. For some of us, our lives are that full.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the believer's day, there's a call that often time goes unheard, or un-noticed. Maybe it's one that we hear but somehow ignore, not so much because we want to, but because it too requires that precious commodity, time, to get completed. It is the same call that echoed in the ears of the prophet Isaiah, who as he stood amidst the demands of his day, beheld the glory and holiness of the LORD and "heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (Isa. 6:8a) Could any other call be any more important? The prophet certainly didn't think so, as he immediately responded, "Here am I; send me" (v. 8b). In the busyness of your day, and life, how would you have responded?
God is looking for men and women who are willing to make themselves available to Him for service. When Isaiah made himself available, the LORD directed him to "Go, and tell this people..." (v. 9a). Every day, in our sphere of influence - at work, at school, or play - there are those to whom God would send a word. As His representatives on the earth, we have the responsibility of making ourselves available to carry that Word. Our call may not come in the manner of a vision like Isaiah's, but if we ensure that the peace of God stand guard over our hearts and minds (Phil. 4:7), we just might hear the Holy SPirit's whisper enquiring of our availability. We cannot afford for our lives to be so full that we become insensitive to the inner promptings of His work.
"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" I pray God that every one of us who hears that question will respond, "Here am I, send me". Other than the call to salvation, there really is nothing else in this life that is more important.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the believer's day, there's a call that often time goes unheard, or un-noticed. Maybe it's one that we hear but somehow ignore, not so much because we want to, but because it too requires that precious commodity, time, to get completed. It is the same call that echoed in the ears of the prophet Isaiah, who as he stood amidst the demands of his day, beheld the glory and holiness of the LORD and "heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (Isa. 6:8a) Could any other call be any more important? The prophet certainly didn't think so, as he immediately responded, "Here am I; send me" (v. 8b). In the busyness of your day, and life, how would you have responded?
God is looking for men and women who are willing to make themselves available to Him for service. When Isaiah made himself available, the LORD directed him to "Go, and tell this people..." (v. 9a). Every day, in our sphere of influence - at work, at school, or play - there are those to whom God would send a word. As His representatives on the earth, we have the responsibility of making ourselves available to carry that Word. Our call may not come in the manner of a vision like Isaiah's, but if we ensure that the peace of God stand guard over our hearts and minds (Phil. 4:7), we just might hear the Holy SPirit's whisper enquiring of our availability. We cannot afford for our lives to be so full that we become insensitive to the inner promptings of His work.
"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" I pray God that every one of us who hears that question will respond, "Here am I, send me". Other than the call to salvation, there really is nothing else in this life that is more important.
He Is Faithful
The year was 1998, and there I was sitting in the lobby of a well-known company, a bit early for my scheduled interview. As I was thumbing through a "Times" magazine, minding my own business, from deep within my being and into my mind came the word of God to Joshua: "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you" (Joshua 1:3). At the very moment, I was absolutely convinced the job I had applied for was mine, but little did I know the surprise I was in for.
After four interviews, I received a call that the company had decided to hire a bilingual person instead. I fully understood the reasons as it was explained to me, but as I put the phone down, my spirit spoke to my mind: "Are you going to take that for an answer?" I immediately recalled God's promise in the lobby and I responded with a verbal "No", as if speaking to a visible person. I then prayed, "Lord this wasn't what you told me. I have no idea how you're going to fix it, but you'll have to because you were the one that promised!" For seven days, every day, God heard those words from me. The following week, the company called to ask if I was still interested in the position. They had in fact hired the bilingual person, but someone else had just resigned and I was the preferred candidate. I could barely contain my excitement, not only at the offer but moreso because God had once again proven Himself faithful. Three more interviews later, I signed the job offer.
What promise has God spoken to your heart lately? What is your level of trust in the Word? David wrote: "O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame ... Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame" (Psalm 25:1a, 2a). In Joel 2:27, God reminded Israel through the prophet that "I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed." The writer of Hebrews declared, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (10:23). Webster defines 'faithful' as "firm in adherence to promises", and of God, Jeremiah declared, "Great is your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23b). He will keep His promises (Numbers 23:19).
On that day sitting in the lobby, I chose to believe the promise and I proved God faithful. Regardless of what we are each faced with, the same God speaks a Word to us in those situations. There is absolutely nothing that He cannot do. When the word of the Lord regarding the promised seed came to Abraham, of him it was simply said, "And he believed the LORD" (Gen. 15:6a). What about you? Do you believe?
After four interviews, I received a call that the company had decided to hire a bilingual person instead. I fully understood the reasons as it was explained to me, but as I put the phone down, my spirit spoke to my mind: "Are you going to take that for an answer?" I immediately recalled God's promise in the lobby and I responded with a verbal "No", as if speaking to a visible person. I then prayed, "Lord this wasn't what you told me. I have no idea how you're going to fix it, but you'll have to because you were the one that promised!" For seven days, every day, God heard those words from me. The following week, the company called to ask if I was still interested in the position. They had in fact hired the bilingual person, but someone else had just resigned and I was the preferred candidate. I could barely contain my excitement, not only at the offer but moreso because God had once again proven Himself faithful. Three more interviews later, I signed the job offer.
What promise has God spoken to your heart lately? What is your level of trust in the Word? David wrote: "O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame ... Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame" (Psalm 25:1a, 2a). In Joel 2:27, God reminded Israel through the prophet that "I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed." The writer of Hebrews declared, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (10:23). Webster defines 'faithful' as "firm in adherence to promises", and of God, Jeremiah declared, "Great is your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23b). He will keep His promises (Numbers 23:19).
On that day sitting in the lobby, I chose to believe the promise and I proved God faithful. Regardless of what we are each faced with, the same God speaks a Word to us in those situations. There is absolutely nothing that He cannot do. When the word of the Lord regarding the promised seed came to Abraham, of him it was simply said, "And he believed the LORD" (Gen. 15:6a). What about you? Do you believe?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Steadfast Faith
What would you do if after leaving your home this morning, and arriving at your destination, you received a series of phone calls that everything you owned, loved, and cherished, including the people nearest and dearest to your heart, were all destroyed? For most of us, it is something we've never thought about because not only is it hard to know just exactly how we would react, but the thought of such losses is simply unimaginable. Some of us would simply lose our minds, some would be in life-long therapy, for others, there would be nothing left worth living for. Proverbs 18:14 sums it up well, "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?"
The situation above speaks directly to the experiences of Job, of whom God said, "there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil" (Job 1:8). In some quarters, there would have been those who would have thought surely Job must have some sins in his life for all that tragedy to come upon him, yet that was definitely not the case. Bad things do happen to good people, but the challenge is in the response to the situation. Job's initial reaction wasn't to go running to his neighbours for support and sympathy, or to shake his fist in the face of God screaming "Why?", but he "arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped" (1:20). His personal world had fallen apart, but he worshipped! Instead of thinking horizontally, even in the midst of calamity he maintained his vertical thinking. He worshipped, saying, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (v.21). What tremendous spiritual conviction! Unlike what some of us would do, he refused to blame God for the events, choosing instead to acknowledge God's Sovereignty over his life. God giveth, and He also had the power to take, but in all things, blessed be the name of the Lord. Despite his grief, we are told "in all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (v.22).
Just what exactly did Job lose? Ten children, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she asses, and a very great household, "so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east" (vv.2-3). Is your faith of such that you could worship God in the midst of such incalculable personal loss? Everything we own is simply on loan, and we would do well to hold on to them lightly. The benevolent God who gave them to us can just as quickly take them away. Of course, Job was not aware that this was a test, but he would later discover that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
Steadfast faith. How would yours hold up? I pray God that we will all be able to demonstrate it, when called upon.
The situation above speaks directly to the experiences of Job, of whom God said, "there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil" (Job 1:8). In some quarters, there would have been those who would have thought surely Job must have some sins in his life for all that tragedy to come upon him, yet that was definitely not the case. Bad things do happen to good people, but the challenge is in the response to the situation. Job's initial reaction wasn't to go running to his neighbours for support and sympathy, or to shake his fist in the face of God screaming "Why?", but he "arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped" (1:20). His personal world had fallen apart, but he worshipped! Instead of thinking horizontally, even in the midst of calamity he maintained his vertical thinking. He worshipped, saying, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (v.21). What tremendous spiritual conviction! Unlike what some of us would do, he refused to blame God for the events, choosing instead to acknowledge God's Sovereignty over his life. God giveth, and He also had the power to take, but in all things, blessed be the name of the Lord. Despite his grief, we are told "in all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (v.22).
Just what exactly did Job lose? Ten children, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she asses, and a very great household, "so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east" (vv.2-3). Is your faith of such that you could worship God in the midst of such incalculable personal loss? Everything we own is simply on loan, and we would do well to hold on to them lightly. The benevolent God who gave them to us can just as quickly take them away. Of course, Job was not aware that this was a test, but he would later discover that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
Steadfast faith. How would yours hold up? I pray God that we will all be able to demonstrate it, when called upon.
Holding On To Your Word
When Jesus got to Bethany on the occasion of Lazarus' death, as He stood at the graveside amidst the crying of family and friends, He said to those nearby, "Take ye away the stone." John tells us, "Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days" (11:39). Judging from that response, one would think that Jesus was oblivious to the facts as they were. In v.17 we were already told of Lazarus that "when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already", yet in Martha we see the human tendency to call our respective situations as we see them, and usually that is far removed from how God sees them.
I'm intrigued by Jesus' response: "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (v.40). The words "Said I not unto thee" springs forth from the pages because it tells us that while standing there in front of her brother's grave, looking at the reality of what was, Martha forgot whatever it was that Jesus had told her previously. The facts had overwhelmed any promise He had given her, yet even as we look at her, we can see ourselves so clearly. We read the Word, the Holy Spirit quickens that Word in our hearts, yet in the face of our adversities, how quickly we forget the promises of God. When Jesus comes on the scene, the facts give way to Truth. For example, Fact - I am broke, Truth - My God shall supply all my needs (Phil. 4:19); Fact - I'm worried, Truth - As long as I trust in Him, His peace will stand watch over my heart and mind (Phil. 4:6,7). In other words, for every situation that may confront us, we have a Word from God for that situation.
Our challenge as believers is to understand and hold on to the Word that God has given to us. Jesus taught that "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart" (Matt. 13:19). It is when we lose that Word that we find ourselves in distress, doubt, and defeat. Without the promises of God, we have no reason to see beyond the present state. But thank God, because we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), with the Word appropriated in our hearts, we can say like the Apostle Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12). Equally important, we know that He keeps His promises - "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19).
What "dead" situation in your life are you looking at? What has He said to you concerning it? What are you going to believe?
I'm intrigued by Jesus' response: "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (v.40). The words "Said I not unto thee" springs forth from the pages because it tells us that while standing there in front of her brother's grave, looking at the reality of what was, Martha forgot whatever it was that Jesus had told her previously. The facts had overwhelmed any promise He had given her, yet even as we look at her, we can see ourselves so clearly. We read the Word, the Holy Spirit quickens that Word in our hearts, yet in the face of our adversities, how quickly we forget the promises of God. When Jesus comes on the scene, the facts give way to Truth. For example, Fact - I am broke, Truth - My God shall supply all my needs (Phil. 4:19); Fact - I'm worried, Truth - As long as I trust in Him, His peace will stand watch over my heart and mind (Phil. 4:6,7). In other words, for every situation that may confront us, we have a Word from God for that situation.
Our challenge as believers is to understand and hold on to the Word that God has given to us. Jesus taught that "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart" (Matt. 13:19). It is when we lose that Word that we find ourselves in distress, doubt, and defeat. Without the promises of God, we have no reason to see beyond the present state. But thank God, because we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), with the Word appropriated in our hearts, we can say like the Apostle Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12). Equally important, we know that He keeps His promises - "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19).
What "dead" situation in your life are you looking at? What has He said to you concerning it? What are you going to believe?
Only An Instrument
It’s funny how when some people go out and do things in the name of the Lord, they end up bragging about it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong in reporting victories on the battlefield, but one of the worse things the child of God could do is to draw glory from God unto themselves. We note the response of the seventy disciples when they returned from their commission. Luke reports, “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name” (10:17). As Bible Commentator Matthew Henry noted, “They give Christ the glory of this: It is through thy name.” They recognized that nothing they did was possible, but through Christ.
In a recent class on 'Spiritual Leadership', one of my professors used a very practical example to make what I thought was a profound point. In the hand of a world class surgeon, a scalpel is simply a surgical instrument. Regardless of the number of surgeries the surgeon would perform with that scalpel, at the end of each one the now sterilized instrument goes back among the other instruments until the next time it is needed. No matter how life saving a particular surgery was, or the accolades that came with a successful outcome, the scalpel does not take a bow, it doesn’t get mentioned. Like the scalpel in the hand of the surgeon, so is the Christian in the hand of God; an instrument that is used to carry out God’s purposes. We do not come out for an applause, we do not take a bow.
I quite like how Jesus brought the seventy back to what was really important. After expanding their ministry capabilities, He continued, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (10:20). The theology in this statement is too great to cover in this space, but suffice it to say that Jesus deflected any intent they had of feeling special, or better than everybody else. If we are to rejoice it is not as instruments being used, but rather because by God’s grace, we have a place in the kingdom.
As we fulfill our respective calling, may we be mindful of the words of John, The Revelator: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). He gets ALL the attention and ALL the glory; we simply go back to work when called upon.
How are you doing in that area?
In a recent class on 'Spiritual Leadership', one of my professors used a very practical example to make what I thought was a profound point. In the hand of a world class surgeon, a scalpel is simply a surgical instrument. Regardless of the number of surgeries the surgeon would perform with that scalpel, at the end of each one the now sterilized instrument goes back among the other instruments until the next time it is needed. No matter how life saving a particular surgery was, or the accolades that came with a successful outcome, the scalpel does not take a bow, it doesn’t get mentioned. Like the scalpel in the hand of the surgeon, so is the Christian in the hand of God; an instrument that is used to carry out God’s purposes. We do not come out for an applause, we do not take a bow.
I quite like how Jesus brought the seventy back to what was really important. After expanding their ministry capabilities, He continued, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (10:20). The theology in this statement is too great to cover in this space, but suffice it to say that Jesus deflected any intent they had of feeling special, or better than everybody else. If we are to rejoice it is not as instruments being used, but rather because by God’s grace, we have a place in the kingdom.
As we fulfill our respective calling, may we be mindful of the words of John, The Revelator: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). He gets ALL the attention and ALL the glory; we simply go back to work when called upon.
How are you doing in that area?
Loving One Another (Part III)
One of the fascinating things about the command to love one another is the ease with which some Christians rationalize, or justify, not doing so. Of course, we would never confess to "hating" them; that's a very strong word, and so not Christ-like. Yet ever so often at the root of what we often describe simply as "avoiding so and so", or "I've forgiven them but I just won't speak to them", is a reflection of our inability, or unwillingness, to - by God's grace - agape one another. I've been there, and more than likely, so have some of you. However, if we judge our actions by the Word, the only standard that really matters, how do those actions stand up?
In 1 John 4:20 we read, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen." If you're like me, your mind rebels, "But I don't hate him/her, I really don't!", however through God working on me as I read the Word, I came to realize that the word translated "hate" also means "to detest; to love less". That last part got my attention because what it implied was, paraphrasing John, if I love (agape) God, and love (agape) my brother less, I'm a liar because I cannot unconditionally, self-sacrificially, actively, volitionally, and thoughtfully love God, who I cannot see, and deny my brother, whom I can see, the same love. Does it mean we love others the same way we love God? No, of course not. Jesus made the clear distinction when He said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength ... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." In other words, we're to love one another with the highest and purest form of love that can be offered to another human being. It is not a suggestion; it is a divine command.
But what does loving like that mean? A long time ago I read the profound statement, "Loving someone is wanting what is best for that person, even if that best does not include you." That's hard for most of us to accept because our human nature is more selfish in its approach. Can we truly want what is best for someone else if it means watching on the sidelines as they pursue or achieve that best? Sure we can. We would do well to remember Jesus' words, "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12, 13). At the heart of that command is self-sacrifice, one of the attributes of agape love. If we desire the best for ourselves, we should desire no less for our brother, even if that best has nothing to do with us.
As we close our look on this theme, I'm struck by Jesus' next statement - so profound in meaning, yet one we could easily overlook; "Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you" (v.14). Friends, IF ...
Are you a friend of God? As you ponder the question, bear in mind who defines the terms for the friendship. He does.
In 1 John 4:20 we read, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen." If you're like me, your mind rebels, "But I don't hate him/her, I really don't!", however through God working on me as I read the Word, I came to realize that the word translated "hate" also means "to detest; to love less". That last part got my attention because what it implied was, paraphrasing John, if I love (agape) God, and love (agape) my brother less, I'm a liar because I cannot unconditionally, self-sacrificially, actively, volitionally, and thoughtfully love God, who I cannot see, and deny my brother, whom I can see, the same love. Does it mean we love others the same way we love God? No, of course not. Jesus made the clear distinction when He said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength ... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." In other words, we're to love one another with the highest and purest form of love that can be offered to another human being. It is not a suggestion; it is a divine command.
But what does loving like that mean? A long time ago I read the profound statement, "Loving someone is wanting what is best for that person, even if that best does not include you." That's hard for most of us to accept because our human nature is more selfish in its approach. Can we truly want what is best for someone else if it means watching on the sidelines as they pursue or achieve that best? Sure we can. We would do well to remember Jesus' words, "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12, 13). At the heart of that command is self-sacrifice, one of the attributes of agape love. If we desire the best for ourselves, we should desire no less for our brother, even if that best has nothing to do with us.
As we close our look on this theme, I'm struck by Jesus' next statement - so profound in meaning, yet one we could easily overlook; "Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you" (v.14). Friends, IF ...
Are you a friend of God? As you ponder the question, bear in mind who defines the terms for the friendship. He does.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Loving One Another (Part II)
Most people do not realize that Paul's chapter on love, 1 Corinthians 13, is a continuation of his thoughts on spiritual gifts (Chapter 12). As wonderful as these gifts were, having being given to the Church by God for its edification and the advancement of Christianity, Paul, in encouraging the brethren to "earnestly desire the greater gifts", also exhorted them to a “more excellent way” (12:31). What could be more excellent than the pursuit and use of spiritual gifts? Listen to his argument: "… whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away, but love never faileth" (13:8). The gifts were temporary, but love, in this case, agape love, that "divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful love" would never cease, and it is for this gift, above all other spiritual gifts, for which we should strive.
Interestingly, when Jesus commanded us to love one another (John 13:34), it was the same Greek word, transliterated agape, that was used. In other words, love one another freely, actively, unconditionally, and self-sacrificially. Actively suggests the demonstration of our love to one another in tangible ways! Paul expanded on this thought when he gave a description of love's properties and its fruits; "Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth" (1 Cor. 13:4-8a). We could add far more properties, but we do get the idea. It is hard, almost impossible, to love another person that way without the help and power of the Holy Spirit. Yet it is this love that we who have accepted the call to be disciples of Christ, are called to demonstrate.
How important is loving one another in God's way of thinking? John captured His heart when he wrote, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:7-11).
Have you noticed what I've noticed? He started and ended with the same admonition - love (agape) one another. How are you doing in that area? Can you think of anyone you need to love like that?
Interestingly, when Jesus commanded us to love one another (John 13:34), it was the same Greek word, transliterated agape, that was used. In other words, love one another freely, actively, unconditionally, and self-sacrificially. Actively suggests the demonstration of our love to one another in tangible ways! Paul expanded on this thought when he gave a description of love's properties and its fruits; "Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth" (1 Cor. 13:4-8a). We could add far more properties, but we do get the idea. It is hard, almost impossible, to love another person that way without the help and power of the Holy Spirit. Yet it is this love that we who have accepted the call to be disciples of Christ, are called to demonstrate.
How important is loving one another in God's way of thinking? John captured His heart when he wrote, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:7-11).
Have you noticed what I've noticed? He started and ended with the same admonition - love (agape) one another. How are you doing in that area? Can you think of anyone you need to love like that?
Loving One Another (Part I)
Two of the most profound things about Jesus' teachings were the simplicity of His messages, and how those messages often impacted all the different domains of our lives. The more I read the Gospels, the more convinced I am that amidst the hustle and bustle of life, and the many mixed messages from our pulpits, a good place to go is back to basics. What did Jesus have to say about specific situations in which we find ourselves?
I thought about this as I had cause to reflect on His words, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35), and wondered, what would happen if we all did that? In one incident recorded in Mark, a Scribe asked Jesus what Commandment was the first of all, to which He replied, "The first is ... thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these" (12:29-31). The profoundness of the last eight words of His reply is beyond words, yet Matthew took it one step further when he reported Jesus saying "On these two commandments hangeth the whole law, and the prophets" (22:40). Nothing else that we are commanded came close to the command to love God with all our being, AND our neighbours as ourselves. Paul expanded on this concept when he wrote, "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Without the love of Christ demonstrated to each other in our everyday lives, nothing we could ever do matters.
Now, I readily concede that some people, for whatever reasons, are very difficult to love. Left to our own imaginations, we would prefer not to be within a country mile of them, yet Jesus did not command us to love only the lovable, or those with who were nice to us. He said, without ambiguity, "Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you: that ye may be sons of your Father which is in heaven ... For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" (Matt. 5:44-46). I'm struck by Jesus' reason for our showing this kind of love; "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." We should note His deliberate use of the word "disciple", as against "follower". The disciple is a learner, a pupil, whose only goal is to learn from his teacher in order that he may become like that teacher. A follower has no such ambition. As we reflect on this important distinction, the relevant question therefore is, which are you?
I thought about this as I had cause to reflect on His words, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35), and wondered, what would happen if we all did that? In one incident recorded in Mark, a Scribe asked Jesus what Commandment was the first of all, to which He replied, "The first is ... thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these" (12:29-31). The profoundness of the last eight words of His reply is beyond words, yet Matthew took it one step further when he reported Jesus saying "On these two commandments hangeth the whole law, and the prophets" (22:40). Nothing else that we are commanded came close to the command to love God with all our being, AND our neighbours as ourselves. Paul expanded on this concept when he wrote, "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Without the love of Christ demonstrated to each other in our everyday lives, nothing we could ever do matters.
Now, I readily concede that some people, for whatever reasons, are very difficult to love. Left to our own imaginations, we would prefer not to be within a country mile of them, yet Jesus did not command us to love only the lovable, or those with who were nice to us. He said, without ambiguity, "Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you: that ye may be sons of your Father which is in heaven ... For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" (Matt. 5:44-46). I'm struck by Jesus' reason for our showing this kind of love; "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." We should note His deliberate use of the word "disciple", as against "follower". The disciple is a learner, a pupil, whose only goal is to learn from his teacher in order that he may become like that teacher. A follower has no such ambition. As we reflect on this important distinction, the relevant question therefore is, which are you?
Looking At Ourselves
Someone once said, "Beware of no man more than thyself", and there's a lot of truth in that statement. Left to our own devices, we're bent on seeing ourselves through rose colored glasses; not as good as we ought to be, but not as bad as the other guy. We're prone to self-deceit, thinking of ourselves to be things that we're not; quick to see that which is wrong in others, while being totally blind to those things which are wrong in us. Our perspective is flawed, and we're woefully ignorant to it.
Yet none of this is new. Solomon reminds us, "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes" (Proverbs 16:2a). Bible Commentator Matthew Henry noted, "We are all apt to be partial in judging of ourselves: All the ways of a man, all his designs, all his doings, are clean in his own eyes, and he sees nothing amiss in them, nothing for which to condemn himself." In and of itself, this is the greatest tragedy because by not recognizing our own shortcomings, we are in no position to ask God to help us to correct them. It's no wonder Thomas Benton Brooks prayed, "Deliver me, O Lord, from that evil man, myself."
Scripture reminds us, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). When we accept Jesus as Lord, He forgives our sins and covers us with His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21), but let's not lose sight of the fact that we are who we are, in Christ, because of God's grace. So, as we rub shoulders with others who may be struggling in different areas of their lives, let us think often of our own sin. It is only then we can be lenient to the sins and failures of others.
Have you ever looked at yourself using the Word as a mirror? Are you able to see yourself for who you truly are?
Yet none of this is new. Solomon reminds us, "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes" (Proverbs 16:2a). Bible Commentator Matthew Henry noted, "We are all apt to be partial in judging of ourselves: All the ways of a man, all his designs, all his doings, are clean in his own eyes, and he sees nothing amiss in them, nothing for which to condemn himself." In and of itself, this is the greatest tragedy because by not recognizing our own shortcomings, we are in no position to ask God to help us to correct them. It's no wonder Thomas Benton Brooks prayed, "Deliver me, O Lord, from that evil man, myself."
Scripture reminds us, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). When we accept Jesus as Lord, He forgives our sins and covers us with His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21), but let's not lose sight of the fact that we are who we are, in Christ, because of God's grace. So, as we rub shoulders with others who may be struggling in different areas of their lives, let us think often of our own sin. It is only then we can be lenient to the sins and failures of others.
Have you ever looked at yourself using the Word as a mirror? Are you able to see yourself for who you truly are?
Praying For Our Ministers...
In recent times, the Body of Christ in North America has been hit with a series of high profile scandals involving some in high profiled positions. From sex scandals, divorces, domestic violence, financial impropriety, to name a few, these behaviors have been hurtful, not only to those who are victims, but also to the whole Church. These revelations have caused much public comment, not only from those with legitimate concerns, but also those who are its constant critics. All told, it is as if the Church is under siege. Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. Looking back over the centuries, the Church has both suffered and survived devastating experiences caused by errant clergy / ministers.
In this uneasy environment, it is easy to lose hope. If these Christian leaders, who we assume are close to God, are failing, what hope is there for the rest of us? Yet these difficult times serves as a great reminder for us to look closely at in whom is our faith based. When our faith is based on the Church's ministers, it can be destroyed as their failures come to light. The Old Testament is a great resource in which to find flawed messengers of God, yet the most compelling thing is not so much the messenger, as it is the message. Our faith must be rooted in God and His Word. No matter how many body blows it suffers, Jesus emphatically stated of the Church, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18, KJV), or as in the Amplified, "shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it]."
Despite how it looks, God is still in control. Paul wrote to Timothy, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12, KJV). We do not have to lose heart in the face of the scandals and criticism. The Church is still the Body of Christ, and I'm sure He knows just exactly how to take care of it. As we anchor our faith in our Lord only, we are best reminded of the words of Henry Ward Beecher: "The Church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians, but a school for the education of imperfect ones."
Let us be in much prayer for ministers who are still standing true to their calling, and while praying, let's also remember those who have fallen; that God will bring healing and restoration, and that restitution will take place where necessary. Regardless of what we may think of them, they are still our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
In this uneasy environment, it is easy to lose hope. If these Christian leaders, who we assume are close to God, are failing, what hope is there for the rest of us? Yet these difficult times serves as a great reminder for us to look closely at in whom is our faith based. When our faith is based on the Church's ministers, it can be destroyed as their failures come to light. The Old Testament is a great resource in which to find flawed messengers of God, yet the most compelling thing is not so much the messenger, as it is the message. Our faith must be rooted in God and His Word. No matter how many body blows it suffers, Jesus emphatically stated of the Church, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18, KJV), or as in the Amplified, "shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it]."
Despite how it looks, God is still in control. Paul wrote to Timothy, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12, KJV). We do not have to lose heart in the face of the scandals and criticism. The Church is still the Body of Christ, and I'm sure He knows just exactly how to take care of it. As we anchor our faith in our Lord only, we are best reminded of the words of Henry Ward Beecher: "The Church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians, but a school for the education of imperfect ones."
Let us be in much prayer for ministers who are still standing true to their calling, and while praying, let's also remember those who have fallen; that God will bring healing and restoration, and that restitution will take place where necessary. Regardless of what we may think of them, they are still our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Friday, August 31, 2007
The Surrendered Life (Part IV)
In this our final time on this subject , we come full circle - back to The Call: "If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]" (Luke 9:23, Amplified). Undoubtedly, this is a struggle for most, if not all of us, and even as we face that struggle, deep within we know this surrender is what God expects. In his book "Absolute Surrender", Andrew Murray wrote: "Do you expect that in your immortal being, in the divine nature that you have received by regeneration, God can work His work, every day and every hour, unless you are entirely given up to Him? God cannot. The temple of Solomon was absolutely surrendered to God when it was dedicated to Him. And every one of us is a temple of God, in which God will dwell and work mightily on one condition - absolute surrender to Him. God claims it, God is worthy of it, and without it God cannot work His blessed work in us."
The last sentence intrigues me, because it is heart's cry of every sincere believer for God to work in and through us. We however should not lose sight of the fact that God does not expect us to accomplish this surrender in our own strength. As a matter of fact, we cant. Murray continued: "God does not ask you to give the perfect surrender in your strength, or by the power of your will; God is willing to work it in you. Do we not read: "it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13)? And that is what we should seek-to go on our faces before God, until our hearts learn to believe that the everlasting God Himself will come in to turn out what is wrong. He will conquer what is evil, and work what is well pleasing in His blessed sight. God Himself will work it in you."
I believe that the desire to be fully surrendered to God have to be burning deep in the heart; we have to want it. It is as the Psalmist wrote: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (42:1-2a, NIV). Do you have that longing? Do you feel that desire?
In closing, I'm reminded of the words penned by Adelaide A. Pollard:
"Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! / Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will / While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! / Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see / Christ only, always, living in me!"
This is my prayer. I hope and pray that it is yours.
The last sentence intrigues me, because it is heart's cry of every sincere believer for God to work in and through us. We however should not lose sight of the fact that God does not expect us to accomplish this surrender in our own strength. As a matter of fact, we cant. Murray continued: "God does not ask you to give the perfect surrender in your strength, or by the power of your will; God is willing to work it in you. Do we not read: "it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13)? And that is what we should seek-to go on our faces before God, until our hearts learn to believe that the everlasting God Himself will come in to turn out what is wrong. He will conquer what is evil, and work what is well pleasing in His blessed sight. God Himself will work it in you."
I believe that the desire to be fully surrendered to God have to be burning deep in the heart; we have to want it. It is as the Psalmist wrote: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (42:1-2a, NIV). Do you have that longing? Do you feel that desire?
In closing, I'm reminded of the words penned by Adelaide A. Pollard:
"Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! / Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will / While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! / Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see / Christ only, always, living in me!"
This is my prayer. I hope and pray that it is yours.
The Surrendered Life (Part III)
To dethrone self is one of the hardest task the willing Christian will undertake, yet by His perfect example, Jesus showed us what it meant to deny self and allow the will of God to take precedence in our lives. It is easy to forget that when He walked the earth He did so as a man, and not as God (Philippians 2:6-8). He was faced with the same temptations we face (Hebrews 4:15), and there were times when his human will, the self, was in direct conflict with that of the Father, yet of Him it is written "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God" (Hebrews 10:9).
We see the magnitude of this surrender in the Garden of Gethsename. Matthew recorded that as he spent his final moments with his disciples together, after asking them
to watch with him, "he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (26:38,39). Lest we forget, Satan had previously offered Him a way out (Matt. 4:1-11); a way to bypass the worse form of execution then - death by crucifixion. Jesus, however, knew that from before the foundations of the world God had purposed that He should be so bruised (Gen. 3:15; Isaiah 53:10), and so despite His soul being "exceeding sorrowful, even unto death", He purposed to conform His will to that of the Father. It wasn't easy. Luke tells us, "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (22:44). Can you picture that? What awesome struggle! Despite the ruthless cruelty of the cross, and the weight of the sins of the world upon His shoulders, He willingly surrendered self in order to accomplish God's ultimate
purpose - our redemption!
This is the example that is set before us. Jesus has not asked us to do something He has not done. He has set the standard for what it means to be a true disciple,
and for those who choose to take up The Call, there's no way around that standard. For God's will to get done in the earth, it will require disciples who are willing to
dethrone self and unconditionally surrender their lives, and all it entails, to His service. To borrow the words fromm an old hymn: "Love so amazing, so divine / Demands my soul, my life, my all."
Can you offer that to Him?
We see the magnitude of this surrender in the Garden of Gethsename. Matthew recorded that as he spent his final moments with his disciples together, after asking them
to watch with him, "he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (26:38,39). Lest we forget, Satan had previously offered Him a way out (Matt. 4:1-11); a way to bypass the worse form of execution then - death by crucifixion. Jesus, however, knew that from before the foundations of the world God had purposed that He should be so bruised (Gen. 3:15; Isaiah 53:10), and so despite His soul being "exceeding sorrowful, even unto death", He purposed to conform His will to that of the Father. It wasn't easy. Luke tells us, "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (22:44). Can you picture that? What awesome struggle! Despite the ruthless cruelty of the cross, and the weight of the sins of the world upon His shoulders, He willingly surrendered self in order to accomplish God's ultimate
purpose - our redemption!
This is the example that is set before us. Jesus has not asked us to do something He has not done. He has set the standard for what it means to be a true disciple,
and for those who choose to take up The Call, there's no way around that standard. For God's will to get done in the earth, it will require disciples who are willing to
dethrone self and unconditionally surrender their lives, and all it entails, to His service. To borrow the words fromm an old hymn: "Love so amazing, so divine / Demands my soul, my life, my all."
Can you offer that to Him?
The Surrendered Life (Part II)
In his book "The Knowledge of the Holy", A. W. Tozer wrote: "Twentieth-century Christians has put God on charity. So lofty is our opinion of ourselves that we find it quite easy, not to say enjoyable, to believe that we are necessary to God. But the truth is that God is not greater for our being, nor would He be less if we did not exist. That we do exist is altogether of God's free determination, not by our desert nor by divine necessity. ... The Christian religion has to do with God and man, but its focal point is God, not man. Man's only claim to importance is that he was created in the divine image; in himself he is nothing."
The self-deception that Tozer wrote about is at the heart of self-idolatry. We lose sight of the fact that the very essence of who are is a gift from God. The air that we breathe, the houses we live in, the cars we drive, the children we claim as our own, our jobs, the marvellous inter-working of the various parts that makes up our bodies, we owe everything to Him. As Tozer posited, "Man is a created being, a deprived and contingent self, who of himself possess nothing but is dependent each moment for his existence upon the One who created him after His own likeness. That fact of God is necessary to the fact of man. Think God away and man has no grounds for existence." In and of himself, man can lay claim to nothing, he can do nothing, yet like that son of the morning Lucifer, we allow self to rise up to believe we can do without God. Isaiah wrote of him, "...thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (14:13,14).
It is this challenge to God's selfhood in relation to our own of which the unsurrendered life is guilty. We profess acceptance of the sovereignty of God in the earth, but we are just not prepared to acknowledge His sovereignty over our lives. To complicate matters, this attitude is so subtle that we are not necessarily conscious of making that choice. To the unregenerate heart, the asserting of self is natural, a given. In our own eyes, and in our world, is a throne of our making on which we sit as kings and queens. Regardless of our station in life, and the sacrifices we make from day to day, we are never prepared to dethrone self. That is our throne, and we are not prepared to relinquish it for anything, or for anyone. Not even God.
Yet, the echo of Jesus’ words lingers. "If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]" (Luke 9:23, Amplified).
Who is sitting on your throne?
The self-deception that Tozer wrote about is at the heart of self-idolatry. We lose sight of the fact that the very essence of who are is a gift from God. The air that we breathe, the houses we live in, the cars we drive, the children we claim as our own, our jobs, the marvellous inter-working of the various parts that makes up our bodies, we owe everything to Him. As Tozer posited, "Man is a created being, a deprived and contingent self, who of himself possess nothing but is dependent each moment for his existence upon the One who created him after His own likeness. That fact of God is necessary to the fact of man. Think God away and man has no grounds for existence." In and of himself, man can lay claim to nothing, he can do nothing, yet like that son of the morning Lucifer, we allow self to rise up to believe we can do without God. Isaiah wrote of him, "...thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (14:13,14).
It is this challenge to God's selfhood in relation to our own of which the unsurrendered life is guilty. We profess acceptance of the sovereignty of God in the earth, but we are just not prepared to acknowledge His sovereignty over our lives. To complicate matters, this attitude is so subtle that we are not necessarily conscious of making that choice. To the unregenerate heart, the asserting of self is natural, a given. In our own eyes, and in our world, is a throne of our making on which we sit as kings and queens. Regardless of our station in life, and the sacrifices we make from day to day, we are never prepared to dethrone self. That is our throne, and we are not prepared to relinquish it for anything, or for anyone. Not even God.
Yet, the echo of Jesus’ words lingers. "If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]" (Luke 9:23, Amplified).
Who is sitting on your throne?
The Surrendered Life (Part I)
One of the most difficult challenges for today's believer is the absolute surrender of ourselves, especially our will, to God. I use the word "absolute" because from God's perspective, that is exactly what He demands. Jesus, the full representation of God on earth, made it plain to His disciples when He said: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23, KJV). In this Amplified Version, the verse reads: "If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [ disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [ cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]." For sure this is no easy task, and it's no wonder Paul referred to the Christian calling as the high calling of God (Philippians 3:14).
What makes this so difficult is that we live in a secular humanistic world that encourages the pleasing of self above everything else. The Christian is not immune from this malady, and slowly but surely some have, and are, passively engaged in what is perhaps the most offensive of things to God - self idolatry. We become the centre of a world of our making, where the things that are truly important are only the things that makes us, the individual, feel happy. It is to this natural temptation to do that which is self-pleasing that Jesus unveiled what is meant to be a true disciple.
Lest we misunderstand the difficulty of the nature of The Call, it is worth remembering that during Jesus' day, the cross was a symbol of suffering and shame; carried by the condemned person to the place of his execution. Introduced by the Romans, it was the means to a slow and agonizing death, and this would have been the picture in the minds of the disciples as they listened to their Master speak. There would be nothing easy about being a follower of Jesus Christ, and nothing has changed since then. Today's believer who have accepted The Call, have also accepted the challenge of absolute surrender; the disowning of self and all that pertains to self for the purpose of conforming ourselves to the image of Christ, even if it means dying to achieve such a cause.
The life that is fully surrendered has only one focus. I believe this was what Paul had in mind when after doing an inventory of all he had accomplished before coming to Christ, he wrote: "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. (Philippians 3:7-10, KJV). Absolutely awesome stuff, and a great example of the surrendered life. Can you say the same thing as he did?
What makes this so difficult is that we live in a secular humanistic world that encourages the pleasing of self above everything else. The Christian is not immune from this malady, and slowly but surely some have, and are, passively engaged in what is perhaps the most offensive of things to God - self idolatry. We become the centre of a world of our making, where the things that are truly important are only the things that makes us, the individual, feel happy. It is to this natural temptation to do that which is self-pleasing that Jesus unveiled what is meant to be a true disciple.
Lest we misunderstand the difficulty of the nature of The Call, it is worth remembering that during Jesus' day, the cross was a symbol of suffering and shame; carried by the condemned person to the place of his execution. Introduced by the Romans, it was the means to a slow and agonizing death, and this would have been the picture in the minds of the disciples as they listened to their Master speak. There would be nothing easy about being a follower of Jesus Christ, and nothing has changed since then. Today's believer who have accepted The Call, have also accepted the challenge of absolute surrender; the disowning of self and all that pertains to self for the purpose of conforming ourselves to the image of Christ, even if it means dying to achieve such a cause.
The life that is fully surrendered has only one focus. I believe this was what Paul had in mind when after doing an inventory of all he had accomplished before coming to Christ, he wrote: "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. (Philippians 3:7-10, KJV). Absolutely awesome stuff, and a great example of the surrendered life. Can you say the same thing as he did?
Knowing The Opponent (Part II)
As we noted last time, the Christian is engaged in a spiritual battle. Despite the action being in our earthly experiences, Paul reminds us that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). Having encouraged the church at Corinth to not be ignorant of how the enemy worked (2 Cor. 2:11), he now exhorted the church at Ephesus to not only be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might, but to "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (trickery/subtlety) of the devil" (vv. 10, 11).
A quick look at the components of "the whole armour of God" - truth, to gird our loins, the breastplate of righteousness, the preparation of the gospel of peace for our feet, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and prayer. The admonition to put on God's armour suggests two things: 1) we cannot confront the enemy in our own strength, and 2) we need to protect the areas where we are most vulnerable. We should note that all the pieces, except one, are for protection (defensive); we have only one offensive weapon in our arsenal - the Word of God. Secondly, there are no optional pieces! The instructions were explicit - "Put on the whole armour of God!"
Paul also gives us an idea of what the enemy will throw at us - "fiery darts". Space limitations do not allow me to expand on this, but suffice it to say that in a figurative sense, the Greek word translated 'fiery' suggests "to be inflamed (with anger, grief, lust)". The enemy's sole mission is to steal, kill, and destroy, and he will do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal. Thank God, however, the child of God do have an insight into the enemy's playbook, and we have the insight into how he can be defeated. In His temptations in the mountains, our Lord not only recognize the enemy's subtleties, but countered them and defeated him using the Word (Matt. 4:1-11).
Do you know the enemy? Has he entered your home, your life, your experiences, where due to a lack of recognition you have entertained him as you would a welcomed visitor? He is everywhere and especially in the daily choices we are confronted with. I pray God will grant the wisdom to recognize him, and grant us the grace to face him, fully clothed, and with much prayer, in the armour of God. It is only then can we be assured of victory.
A quick look at the components of "the whole armour of God" - truth, to gird our loins, the breastplate of righteousness, the preparation of the gospel of peace for our feet, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and prayer. The admonition to put on God's armour suggests two things: 1) we cannot confront the enemy in our own strength, and 2) we need to protect the areas where we are most vulnerable. We should note that all the pieces, except one, are for protection (defensive); we have only one offensive weapon in our arsenal - the Word of God. Secondly, there are no optional pieces! The instructions were explicit - "Put on the whole armour of God!"
Paul also gives us an idea of what the enemy will throw at us - "fiery darts". Space limitations do not allow me to expand on this, but suffice it to say that in a figurative sense, the Greek word translated 'fiery' suggests "to be inflamed (with anger, grief, lust)". The enemy's sole mission is to steal, kill, and destroy, and he will do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal. Thank God, however, the child of God do have an insight into the enemy's playbook, and we have the insight into how he can be defeated. In His temptations in the mountains, our Lord not only recognize the enemy's subtleties, but countered them and defeated him using the Word (Matt. 4:1-11).
Do you know the enemy? Has he entered your home, your life, your experiences, where due to a lack of recognition you have entertained him as you would a welcomed visitor? He is everywhere and especially in the daily choices we are confronted with. I pray God will grant the wisdom to recognize him, and grant us the grace to face him, fully clothed, and with much prayer, in the armour of God. It is only then can we be assured of victory.
Knowing The Opponent (Part I)
In sports, players and coaches on successful teams attribute some of that success to not taking any opponent lightly. Whether in corporate boardrooms, or when planning military strategies, the same principle is adhered to. Knowing one's opponents, the strengths and weaknesses, their characteristic patterns and styles of work are crucial to gaining victory. To not take these factors into consideration is to invite failure, and perhaps disaster. One thing we can be assured of; the enemy is studying us as well, intent on exploiting every weakness that could bring about our downfall.
The Christian is involved in a spiritual warfare (2 Cor. 10:4), and our enemy is out to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). In the natural, if we knew of such an enemy, we would take every step to protect ourselves and those we hold dear, yet in the spiritual realm, how easy it is to overlook, to not recognize the style and pattern of how this enemy works. Earlier in his letter, Paul cautioned the Corinthian Church to not be ignorant of the devil's sly ways (2:11, MSG). Webster defines being sly as "clever in concealing one's aims or ends"; in other words, if we are not careful and able to discern what the enemy is about, we can be deceived and be made to believe that what seems like a right course of action only ended up leading us down the wrong path.
In the Scriptures, we find the perfect example; the story of Eve. Even before we're given the account of her conversation with the serpent, we are told something about him; he "was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made" (Gen. 3:1). It was this subtlety, this uncomplimentary cunningness, that provoked Eve to believe the half-truths of the serpent over the sure Word of God, and so committed the first recorded sin. As Bible Commentator Matthew Henry noted, "There is not any thing by which the devil serves himself and his own interest more than by unsanctified subtlety."
The child of God cannot be ignorant of how the devil works. We are confronted every day by choices: take the easy way out over doing what is right by the Word; overlook this/that because it is not so bad; do this/that, who will know?, and it continues. Yet in every decision that looks like the right one is the potential to fall into the devil's trap; to sin against God. How well do you know the enemy of your soul? Do you know how he operates?
May God grant us the wisdom to be aware of the enemy's schemes, and may He enable us to discern the way we should go when we arrive at the crossroads of our experiences.
The Christian is involved in a spiritual warfare (2 Cor. 10:4), and our enemy is out to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). In the natural, if we knew of such an enemy, we would take every step to protect ourselves and those we hold dear, yet in the spiritual realm, how easy it is to overlook, to not recognize the style and pattern of how this enemy works. Earlier in his letter, Paul cautioned the Corinthian Church to not be ignorant of the devil's sly ways (2:11, MSG). Webster defines being sly as "clever in concealing one's aims or ends"; in other words, if we are not careful and able to discern what the enemy is about, we can be deceived and be made to believe that what seems like a right course of action only ended up leading us down the wrong path.
In the Scriptures, we find the perfect example; the story of Eve. Even before we're given the account of her conversation with the serpent, we are told something about him; he "was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made" (Gen. 3:1). It was this subtlety, this uncomplimentary cunningness, that provoked Eve to believe the half-truths of the serpent over the sure Word of God, and so committed the first recorded sin. As Bible Commentator Matthew Henry noted, "There is not any thing by which the devil serves himself and his own interest more than by unsanctified subtlety."
The child of God cannot be ignorant of how the devil works. We are confronted every day by choices: take the easy way out over doing what is right by the Word; overlook this/that because it is not so bad; do this/that, who will know?, and it continues. Yet in every decision that looks like the right one is the potential to fall into the devil's trap; to sin against God. How well do you know the enemy of your soul? Do you know how he operates?
May God grant us the wisdom to be aware of the enemy's schemes, and may He enable us to discern the way we should go when we arrive at the crossroads of our experiences.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Some Favorite Gospel Videos
I love older songs; there just something about the 'theology' and the message they contain that is so powerful, it speaks to the deepest part of one's soul. A couple of my favorites...
"Sinner Saved By Grace" ~ George Younce & Glen Payne, both now deceased.
The late Jake Hess singing "Faith Unocks The Door"
One that reminds me of my Dad: "It Is Well With My Soul" ~ Guy Penrod & David Phelps
The incomparable Michael English: "Lord, Feed Your Children"
Michael English & Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir ~ "Midnight Cry"
"Sinner Saved By Grace" ~ George Younce & Glen Payne, both now deceased.
The late Jake Hess singing "Faith Unocks The Door"
One that reminds me of my Dad: "It Is Well With My Soul" ~ Guy Penrod & David Phelps
The incomparable Michael English: "Lord, Feed Your Children"
Michael English & Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir ~ "Midnight Cry"
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Being Child-Like
There is something beautiful about the innocence of a child. Adorable little wonders that they sometimes are, they generally have a level of trust that most adults can only recall from memory. A parent could put a child on a pedestal, and the child would eagerly jump into the arms of the parent, just because the parent said they should. In healthy relationships between parent and child, there is unwavering trust. The parent is the authority, and the child will often adapt his or her behavior to what it is taught to be right or wrong. Why? Simply a matter of trust.
I believe it is that level of trust that we, as children of God, should bring into our relationship with Him. I love that when Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray, the first two words He used were "Our Father". Of course most of us have repeated that prayer a thousand times over, yet have we ever stopped to consider the profoundness of the address? "Our Father" challenges the child of God into a relationship of intimacy and trust. We come to Him with child-like innocence that reflects our awareness that He not only loves us, but also has our best interest at heart. When the veil of the temple was shattered on Crucifixion Day, I believe God was throwing the doors to His inner chamber wide open and inviting us to come in. Like a child running into his parents' bedroom, jumping in bed and snuggling between Mom and Dad, so God invites us - His children - to come boldly into His Holy of Holies.
Maybe that was why when the disciples tried to rebuke the children from His presence, Mark wrote that He was much displeased and said unto them, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein" (10:14-16). Unwavering faith, trust, and confidence in the parent goodness and goodwill are qualities most children will possess. I strongly believe those are the very same things that God desires from us in our relationship with Him. "Our Father"; wonderful words indeed.
Talking About Praise
One of my favorite part of Scripture is Psalm 34, especially verses 1-3; "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together."
My fascination with this Psalm lies in David's determination to bless (praise, salute) the Lord no matter what. So many times we allow our emotions to influence our praise, but here we see the Psalmist making the conscious decision that he would bless the Lord at all times; the two importants phrases being "I will" and "at all times". We cannot always trust our emotions, and there are times when it feels like we are passing through endless valleys, and that may be the case for some, but even then, we can resolve to bless the Lord. To praise or not to praise is a decision that we make. When and how often we praise are also decisions that we make. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Nothing external to you have any power over you", and once we realize this, we will also realize that there is nothing, nor no one, that can stop our praise but ourselves.
We cannot afford to be situational praisers. True praisers see praise as an offering to God for who He is; a celebration of His attributes. Inspired by the Holy spirit, David wrote, "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD" (Psalm 150).
My fascination with this Psalm lies in David's determination to bless (praise, salute) the Lord no matter what. So many times we allow our emotions to influence our praise, but here we see the Psalmist making the conscious decision that he would bless the Lord at all times; the two importants phrases being "I will" and "at all times". We cannot always trust our emotions, and there are times when it feels like we are passing through endless valleys, and that may be the case for some, but even then, we can resolve to bless the Lord. To praise or not to praise is a decision that we make. When and how often we praise are also decisions that we make. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Nothing external to you have any power over you", and once we realize this, we will also realize that there is nothing, nor no one, that can stop our praise but ourselves.
We cannot afford to be situational praisers. True praisers see praise as an offering to God for who He is; a celebration of His attributes. Inspired by the Holy spirit, David wrote, "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD" (Psalm 150).
I am with David. "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the LORD's name is to be praised" (Psalm 113:3), so come and "magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together". Praise ye the Lord!
What's In Your Bucket? II
Thinking of the heart as a container, like a bucket, from which all things flow, the words of Jeremiah regarding the state of the unregenerated heart is somewhat chilling; "...deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (17:9). The Christian is not immune from this affliction. If we performed an honest self-evaluation, we would probably find in our buckets, traces of bitterness, conceit, unforgiveness, pride, anger, jealousy, self-pity, envy, among other things. Some of these may have been in there for years, yet on the outside, we put on a spiritual face that mask our inner realities.
David came face to face with an important truth when he declared, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18). Some have abused this verse in thinking that as long as they do not voice what is in their hearts, then God cannot hear (know) it. Of course, that is not what David meant. Sins of the heart are known by God. The important truth, according to Bible Commentator Matthew Henry, is that "iniquity, regarded in the heart, will certainly spoil the comfort and success of prayer." It doesn't matter how much we wrap ourselves in spiritual clichés, or how much of a righteous face we show to others, it is an undeniably truth that God knows what's in our buckets, and it is He who declares it acceptable or not. It is not by chance that God would have Jeremiah use the word "deceitful" to describe the heart, suggesting the need for constant vigilance to root out those things that are blockages to spiritual progress. The Proverbs provide us with the warning, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (4:23).
In what must have been a moment of reflection, David prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:22, 23). He had previously declared, "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple" (Psalm 27:4). I believe he knew that achieving intimacy with God required transparency. His most earnest desire to seek after the things of God was so great that he was willing to have God examine his bucket! How about you? What is your most earnest desire? What's in your bucket?
David came face to face with an important truth when he declared, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18). Some have abused this verse in thinking that as long as they do not voice what is in their hearts, then God cannot hear (know) it. Of course, that is not what David meant. Sins of the heart are known by God. The important truth, according to Bible Commentator Matthew Henry, is that "iniquity, regarded in the heart, will certainly spoil the comfort and success of prayer." It doesn't matter how much we wrap ourselves in spiritual clichés, or how much of a righteous face we show to others, it is an undeniably truth that God knows what's in our buckets, and it is He who declares it acceptable or not. It is not by chance that God would have Jeremiah use the word "deceitful" to describe the heart, suggesting the need for constant vigilance to root out those things that are blockages to spiritual progress. The Proverbs provide us with the warning, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (4:23).
In what must have been a moment of reflection, David prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:22, 23). He had previously declared, "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple" (Psalm 27:4). I believe he knew that achieving intimacy with God required transparency. His most earnest desire to seek after the things of God was so great that he was willing to have God examine his bucket! How about you? What is your most earnest desire? What's in your bucket?
Making Things Right
During my formative years attending Sunday School, I liked the Biblical character Zacchaeus (Luke 19). Here was a short, rich publican, a sinner, who had to climb up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus as He passed through his town. I do not know what provoked his curiosity, but I'm sure he didn't realize that his encounter with the Son of God would change his life from that day forward. Isn't that just like Jesus? Any genuine encounter with Him, and a person cannot stay the same.
On this particular day as Zacchaeus perched in the tree, Luke tells us that Jesus, having got to where the tree was, looked up, and said unto him "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully" (vv. 5, 6). What intrigues me is what followed: "Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold" (V.8). That latter half of that verse speaks to restitution - the act of restoring to a previous state. It is a tragedy of our times that the Church has lost this practice. It is not unusual for brethren to hurt / offend each other, sometimes unknowingly, but the ball and chain tied to our feet and retarding our spiritual progress is our inability to go and make things right with a brother or sister.
It is instructive that Jesus coupled restitution and reconciliation as a crucial part of genuine worship: "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Matthew 5:22, 23). Maybe somewhere within, Zacchaeus knew that there was no way he could have meaningful fellowship with Christ without first making things right with his fellow men.
There is something in that for all of us. Is there someone you need to make things right with? Sure there may be many reasons why you may not want to do it, but bear in mind that it is your relationship with the Lord that is at stake. May God give us the grace to step out in faith, and reach out to that someone, so we can be free to worship in spirit, and just as importantly, in truth. The Father seeketh such to worship Him (John 4:23).
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Praying One For The Other
I often chuckle when as a part of greeting another, how often the words "How are you?" are used. I chuckle, not so much because I think it is funny, but because the question seem more one of social etiquette than it is of genuine care. Think about the times you used those words, and ask yourself the question, "Did I really want to know?". Chances are, you really didn't, but the question seemed a good filler at the time.
I think the same thing applies among brethren when it comes to prayer. How many times have we committed to praying for someone, and promptly forgot to do so once we put the phone down, or the person has left our presence? It is a tragedy of our times that we are so often occupied with our own lives, that we can hardly make the time to invest in the spiritual well being of another, and especially, to pray for them. How many times have someone crossed our minds without our giving any thought to whether or not that person needed to be prayed for at that moment? It could be that the Holy Spirit allowed that intrusion in our thoughts so we could intercede on that person's behalf.
Praying one for the other is an integral part of Christian fellowship. James reminds us "...The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (5:16), and we see the Apostle Paul reassuring Philemon: "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers....That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus" (Philemon 4, 6). We should be reminded that "the power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power resides in the God who is being prayed to." For God to act, He needs the cooperation of someone praying a prayer; making that request known. He most definitely listens to prayers, answers prayers, and moves in response to prayers.
Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer, and John recorded Him praying, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine" (John 17:9). If He found it necessary to pray for the disciples then, and seeing He continues to intercede on our behalf (Romans 8:34), how much more are we to pray for one for the other?
I challenge you to think about this the next time you commit to pray for someone, or someone crosses your mind. Each one of us may be that link to another person's breakthrough. May God grant us sensitive hearts, and the conviction, to be obedient to that which the Holy Spirit has prompted us to do.
Ordering Our Steps
Recently I've been looking at some of those fancy GPS navigation systems that, once configured, can get someone to their destination safer with step-by-step driving directions. Anyone who has ever been the recipient of bad driving directions, and who have driven around lost a few times, can fully appreciate the value of such a device. Thank God for technology!
However, as I scanned the various types and their capabilities, it occurred to me that in the journey of life we often get lost. We either follow bad directions, or in some cases, we navigate through life on a whim without any sense of direction. Along the side of life's roadways, we see evidence of the carnage that results from this kind of pursuit; dysfunctional relationships, dysfunctional families, misplaced priorities, to name a few. The truth of the matter is that it doesn't have to be that way.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, Solomon gives us what could be considered life's greatest navigation system. In that portion of Scripture we read: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." The rendition from the Amplified Bible is even more compelling: "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths." If we want step-by-step directions for our lives, there is no greater Navigator than God Himself. David reassures us "The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]" (Psalm 37:23, Amplified).
I like what Bible Commentator Matthew Henry said, in part, on Proverbs 3:5, "By faith. We must repose an entire confidence in the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, assuring ourselves of the extent of his providence to all the creatures and all their actions....we must believe that he is able to do what he will, wise to do what is best, and good, according to his promise, to do what is best for us, if we love him, and serve him."
As we go from day to day, may we take the time to become intimately acquainted with the Saviour, and trust Him to direct our every step. He knows the way through the mazes of life; all we have to do is to follow.
Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?
Jesus' encounter with the man at the pool of Bethesda as recorded in John 5: 1-9, is a fascinating story. Here was a man, afflicted with infirmities for thirty-eight years, whose excuse for his prolonged condition was that "I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me" (v. 7). I have often wondered where was his family? His friends? Did he not have anyone who cared about him to get him to the edge of the pool so that when the angel troubled the water, he would be among the first to step in? That aside, I have always been intrigued by verse 5, "When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?"
It seems to me that Jesus' question spoke to the man's will; his desire. Had he become so comfortable in his condition that healing would have been nice, but it was not a pressing need for him anymore? I think of some people, Christians included, who seem to relish the role of victims, constantly rehashing and reliving all the negatives that have happened to them. They themselves will admit that such a state is stressful and make them unhappy, yet no matter how many people have tried to help them move along in their lives, they are stuck. Like the man at the pool, their total identity is now wrapped up in their condition; it defines them.
Yet how liberating it is when Jesus comes on the scene. It is not His will to leave us in our present state, but He comes asking the question: "Will thou be made whole?" I found it interesting that Jesus did not ask him if he wanted to be healed. That would only address his current infirmities, but by asking him if he wanted to be made whole, I believe that Jesus was not only speaking of his physical infirmities but to the total man. He was asking, "Do you want to be healthy spiritually, emotionally, and physically?"
The Healer is asking the same question of us today. I do not know what condition has held - and continue to hold you - hostage, but whatever it is, rest assured that Jesus can set you free. John tells us, "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked." He can do the same for you. He's just that kind of God.
It seems to me that Jesus' question spoke to the man's will; his desire. Had he become so comfortable in his condition that healing would have been nice, but it was not a pressing need for him anymore? I think of some people, Christians included, who seem to relish the role of victims, constantly rehashing and reliving all the negatives that have happened to them. They themselves will admit that such a state is stressful and make them unhappy, yet no matter how many people have tried to help them move along in their lives, they are stuck. Like the man at the pool, their total identity is now wrapped up in their condition; it defines them.
Yet how liberating it is when Jesus comes on the scene. It is not His will to leave us in our present state, but He comes asking the question: "Will thou be made whole?" I found it interesting that Jesus did not ask him if he wanted to be healed. That would only address his current infirmities, but by asking him if he wanted to be made whole, I believe that Jesus was not only speaking of his physical infirmities but to the total man. He was asking, "Do you want to be healthy spiritually, emotionally, and physically?"
The Healer is asking the same question of us today. I do not know what condition has held - and continue to hold you - hostage, but whatever it is, rest assured that Jesus can set you free. John tells us, "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked." He can do the same for you. He's just that kind of God.
Abiding In The Vine
Several days after cutting the grass in my backyard, I noticed that the grass clippings were no longer green, but brown. Of course, that made perfect sense because having being cut off from their source of food and nutrients, they could not survive. As I looked out at this natural occurrence, I thought of the words of Jesus as recorded in John 15:1, 4b-5: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman....As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me....I am the vine, ye are the branches...without me ye can do nothing."
In our increasingly secular humanistic age where reliance on self and one's abilities are highly touted, the Christian, if not careful, can lose sight of this profound spiritual truth. I'm sure most of us know, or at least have heard, those words spoken by Jesus, but have we taken the time to really understand them? The word "abide" implies staying/remaining in a given place or state, and Jesus used the word seven times in the first seven verses. Talk about emphasizing a point! The successful Christian is not the one who sings/pray the loudest, has the biggest Bible, speaks spiritualese, or has a perfect record of Church attendance. It is the one who constantly stays connected to the source of all that pertains to life and godliness, Jesus Christ, the true Vine.
The aforementioned grass clippings didn't have a choice to stay connected to their life source, but when He spoke the words "If ye abide in me" (v.7), Jesus made abiding in Him a matter of personal choice. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our days and the many distractions we experience, sincere Christians have to make the time to nurture this most important of relationships. Disconnected from Christ we wither away spiritually, yet it doesn't have to be that way. Jesus made it possible for us to experience the richness of being sustained and kept by the richness that flows from Him, for as long as we choose to stay connected to Him. As you examine your own life, what choice does it reflect?
"Without me ye can do nothing." Lord, may the profoundness and reality of that truth provoke us to do whatever it takes to stay connected to you.
Good Benefits
Someone once said that when it comes to serving the Lord, the "pay" is excellent and the benefits out of this world. This thought came to mind as I reflected on the words of the Psalmist, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits" (103:2). In the New Living Translation this verse reads, "Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me."
Among the many benefits David mentioned are: he forgives all my sins, he heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things, my youth is renewed like the eagle's. He gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly, is compassionate and merciful; slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. The love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!
There is absolutely no one that can top such a benefit package! The beauty of all this is that it is not a one time deal, but benefits that are available to us daily. David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote: "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation" (Psalm 68:19, KJV). The greatest miracle is the salvation of our souls, but our Heavenly Father did not stop there. In addition to giving us the gift of His Son, He threw in the best benefits package the world has ever known, and it is available to all who will put their trust in Him.
The next time we are tempted to complain, may we reflect on those things. May our prayer be like that of the Psalmist; "Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me."
Thursday, May 31, 2007
A God of All Comfort
There are very few of us that have not been hit with at least one of life's tragedies. Whether the loss of something or someone we hold dear, or dealing with an event we never expected to happen, it is the kind of thing that leaves us scrambling for answers. Deep within, we feel inexplicable pain and would welcome a shoulder to lean on, and if necessary, to cry on.
The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us of one of the many attributes of God. He wrote "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities..." (4:15), and it is a great source of comfort to know that regardless of what we are going through, God can fully identify with our feelings. In the Greek, the word translated "infirmities" actually means "feebleness of body or mind", and therefore it is not just our physical infirmities that touches God, but also the mental, emotional, and psychological things we have to deal with.
The good news is not just that He can identify with our feelings, but He is also able to provide comfort (relief) from those stresses. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation" (2 Cor. 1:3-4a). Again, the word translated "tribulation" actually means, among other things, "pressure, trouble". The God of all comfort is able to comfort us in all our troubles; in all the situations that pressures our bodies and minds.
It is no wonder that we are encouraged to cast our cares / burdens upon the Lord; we are assured that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). I believe that caring extends to every area of our lives, and so during the times when we need Him most, He is always there with open arms of comfort. Even when it doesn't seem like it, He is there. As we deal with our individual circumstances, may we find peace of mind and heart in that care, and relief from life's stresses when we find ourselves in our valleys of life's experiences.
Search Me, O God
One of the buzz words in relationships is transparency. We want the people in our lives to "open up" and share their innermost thoughts and feelings; we want to know their heart. Most of us are afraid of this transparency because we feel extremely vulnerable, and for the most part, uncomfortable. We are told to "not tell everything", "don't say anything that could come back to haunt you", among other things, and so even though we can comfortably connect with others on an intimate level, being transparent is another matter.
The irony is that genuinely intimate relationships require transparency in order to be fully effective. There cannot be any areas of our lives that is considered "off limits"because, in a number of ways, transparency speaks to our integrity and character; the very core of who were are individuals. In the natural, the absence of transparency breeds hurt, insecurity, uncertainty, confusion, to name a few.
In the spiritual realm, it is mandatory to have transparency with the Almighty if we desire fellowship with Him. David wrote, "Behold, thou desirest in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom" (Psalm 51:6), and answered his own question, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?" with "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation" (24:3-5). Jesus Himself told the woman at the well, "...the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him" (John 4:23). Genuine worship involves purity of heart and mind; a state that can only be attained when we lay ourselves open to the will and workings of the Holy Spirit.
That is why I love David's prayer in Psalm 139:2, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting", to which we could add, "Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin ... Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (51:2, 10). For the expressed purpose of enjoying a healthy relationship with God, he laid himself bare, made himself transparent before Him who knew him better than he knew himself.
How far are you willing to go in your relationship with the Father? How transparent are you willing to become? Remember, if He is not Lord of all areas of our lives, He is not Lord at all.
Always In His Sight
Have you ever felt like God has lost sight of you? That He has lost your address and doesn't know where you are? I recall those feelings of many years ago when it seemed like nothing about me was going right, yet despite what the enemy would have me believe, I knew enough to know that it only seemed like God had forgotten me, but He really hadn't. In our lowest moments, Satan would have us believe that we are alone. Hanging on the cross, Jesus echoed the cry of the Psalmist, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46b), or as the Message Translation records the verses, "God, God...my God! Why did you dump me miles from nowhere? Doubled up with pain, I call to God all the day long. No answer. Nothing. I keep at it all night, tossing and turning" (Psalm 22:1-2).
Because the enemy is not capable of telling the truth (John 8:44), someone once said that whatever comes out of Satan's mouth, turn it around. If he says God has abandoned you, the opposite is true; truth is, we are always in His sight. In Psalm 139:7-12 we read, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." There is absolutely nowhere that we can go that we are ever out of His sight.
What marvellous truth! What tremendous comfort! Amidst life's storms, and even in the dry places along our spiritual journey, we can rest assured that the omniscience of our God enables Him to have us in His sight at all times. The devil is a liar and there is no need for the child of God to be discouraged. No matter the challenges, we can sign with the hymn writer: "Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise / When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies / I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free / His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."
Thank you Jesus!
Who Is Jesus to You?
According to the book of Matthew, Jesus had just finished feeding four thousand men, besides women and children, with seven loaves and a few little fish when he had a private conversation with his disciples at Caesarea Philippi. Despite all the teaching he had done, and the miracles preformed, he asked the disciples, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" to which they answered, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." In other words, people were saying anything other than who he really was.
Jesus then turned the tables and asked, "But who do you say that I am?" to which Simon Peter, my favorite disciple, replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matt. 16:13-16).
The entire exchange affirmed an important truth; one can have good thoughts of Christ, and yet not the right ones; a high opinion of him, yet not high enough. The people had seen Jesus and the works he did. His life and ministry was as spoken by the prophets, yet even in his midst, they did not know who he was. The disciples all agreed he was the promised Messiah, the Son of God, yet even in that declaration, they still missed all that Jesus was. Yes, he was the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14), but to those who believe in him, he was much more than that.
While most Christians understand Jesus as stated by Peter, we miss fully understanding all that he is to us. Scriptures teach that he is our Bread of Life, the Light of the world, the True Vine, Comforter, Friend, Healer, the Good Shepherd, Redeemer, Savior, the Fountain of Living Water, Burden Bearer, Deliverer, Great High Priest, Provider, among many other things. Anything that the believer needs him to be, he is all that and more! How our lives could be much different if we grasped this important truth?
Who is Jesus to you? Is he just the Son of God? I challenge you to get more intimately acquainted with him and get to know him better. There is no area of our lives that he is incapable of stepping into and making a difference. May he so reveal himself to you as you spend time in his presence.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
What's In Your Bucket?
How many times have you said something to someone and immediately wished you could take it back? Whether it was in the "heat" of the moment, the result of pent-up frustration, or we were just simply having a bad day, I would guess most, if not all of us, have had that experience at least once. Some have called it "a slip of the tongue", but is it really? The more I think about it, I keep coming back to Jesus' words to the religious rulers of the day; "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." (Matt. 12:34-35, KJV).
Sometime ago I heard a Pastor say that the words we speak are like water in a bucket. When someone bumps our "bucket", i.e. offends us, whatever is inside will flow out. There is quite a lot of truth in that statement. In the Proverbs we read, "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water..." (20:5), and I would guess, so are other things, good and bad. The condition of our hearts is of such that Jeremiah wrote it is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (17:9). Unless the love of God fill our heart continuously, and without the exercise of much diligence, the things that pour out from it can be very destructive. As we read also in the Proverbs, "...grievous words stir up anger" (15:1). On the opposite side, "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!" (15:23).
I quite like David's prayer request in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." Paul beautifully encouraged us when he wrote, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8). God is so good He even tells us the things we should think / meditate on. What's in your bucket? Are your words / meditations pleasing to God? As we make David's prayer our prayer, may we take Paul's words to heart as well. Today is as good a time as any to start doing so.
Sometime ago I heard a Pastor say that the words we speak are like water in a bucket. When someone bumps our "bucket", i.e. offends us, whatever is inside will flow out. There is quite a lot of truth in that statement. In the Proverbs we read, "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water..." (20:5), and I would guess, so are other things, good and bad. The condition of our hearts is of such that Jeremiah wrote it is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (17:9). Unless the love of God fill our heart continuously, and without the exercise of much diligence, the things that pour out from it can be very destructive. As we read also in the Proverbs, "...grievous words stir up anger" (15:1). On the opposite side, "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!" (15:23).
I quite like David's prayer request in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." Paul beautifully encouraged us when he wrote, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8). God is so good He even tells us the things we should think / meditate on. What's in your bucket? Are your words / meditations pleasing to God? As we make David's prayer our prayer, may we take Paul's words to heart as well. Today is as good a time as any to start doing so.
Seeing Jesus
Amidst all the hustle and bustle of our days, it has become increasingly difficult to find moments of solitude. Those important times of mediation and quiet reflection that we all need to focus on things eternal; times to spend time with God. It is unfortunate that the more pressed we are for time, it is those moments that tend to go first as we try to accommodate the things that demands our attention. Yet amidst all that is going on around us, is there anything else really more important to us than those moments of fellowship?
On the occasion of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, John tells us "much people", came from all parts to worship at the feast, not just because they heard that Jesus was coming to the city, but also to see Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead (John 12:9, 12). However amidst all the excitement, John records an event that we could easily gloss over. Some Greeks who came to worship at the feast met the disciple Philip and requested of him, "Sir, we would see Jesus" (12:21). Oh, we cannot begin to comprehend the depth of such a request! These Gentiles could have found any number of things to occupy their time. They could have been caught up in the excitement of simply being where Jesus was when he rode into the city, a story they could tell to their children, but that was not their focus. I firmly believe they did not just want to see his face, but rather to spend time in his company and be taught by him. Amidst the hustle and bustle, they "would see Jesus"; this was their priority, everything else could wait.
What is your greatest priority? Are you a part of the Christian crowd that is distracted by things in the moment? Being where Jesus is does not mean we are having fellowship with him. To have fellowship, we have to resist the lure of activities around us and carve out for ourselves those moments when "we would see Jesus". It is during those moments that we can enjoy the intimacy of our relationship with our Heavenly Father; when we can experience for ourselves the experience of the hymn writer, "And he walks with me and he talks with me / And he tells me that I am his own / And the joy we share as we tarry there / None other has ever known". No matter how busy life gets, I challenge you to make the time to see (spend time, fellowship, become intimate with) Jesus. I submit, nothing else is life is as important.
On the occasion of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, John tells us "much people", came from all parts to worship at the feast, not just because they heard that Jesus was coming to the city, but also to see Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead (John 12:9, 12). However amidst all the excitement, John records an event that we could easily gloss over. Some Greeks who came to worship at the feast met the disciple Philip and requested of him, "Sir, we would see Jesus" (12:21). Oh, we cannot begin to comprehend the depth of such a request! These Gentiles could have found any number of things to occupy their time. They could have been caught up in the excitement of simply being where Jesus was when he rode into the city, a story they could tell to their children, but that was not their focus. I firmly believe they did not just want to see his face, but rather to spend time in his company and be taught by him. Amidst the hustle and bustle, they "would see Jesus"; this was their priority, everything else could wait.
What is your greatest priority? Are you a part of the Christian crowd that is distracted by things in the moment? Being where Jesus is does not mean we are having fellowship with him. To have fellowship, we have to resist the lure of activities around us and carve out for ourselves those moments when "we would see Jesus". It is during those moments that we can enjoy the intimacy of our relationship with our Heavenly Father; when we can experience for ourselves the experience of the hymn writer, "And he walks with me and he talks with me / And he tells me that I am his own / And the joy we share as we tarry there / None other has ever known". No matter how busy life gets, I challenge you to make the time to see (spend time, fellowship, become intimate with) Jesus. I submit, nothing else is life is as important.
Praying Effectively II
"Lord, teach us to pray..." (Luke 11:1). This was the profound request of Jesus' disciples, and which should be the request of all of us. By ourselves we can do nothing (John 15:5), and so even in prayer, we need to be taught by Him who had the most intimate of prayer relationship with the Father. Jesus did not trivialize the disciple's request, but Luke opens verse 2 with the words: "And he said unto them, When ye pray,say...", and what follows is a prayer that we refer to as The Lord's Prayer. The brevity of this prayer, 58 words recorded by Luke, is a reminder to us that it is not the length of our prayers that matters, but rather the sincerity of our hearts, a belief in God's sovereignty, and a right relationship with Him.
It is important to note the elements of The Prayer. At the very beginning it honors God, it sought the replication of the will of God on earth as it is in heaven, it recognizes God as the source for our daily provisions, it seeks the forgiveness of our sins in direct proportion to the extent we forgive others, and it seeks God's leading in our daily walk. Obviously, the words of Jesus were well chosen because in effect, the essence of His teaching was faith in God and purity of heart. We cannot hope to pray effectively if we have unforgiveness in our hearts. The Psalmist David wrote: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart..." (Psalm 23:3,4). It is interesting that Jesus did not simply teach asking for forgiveness, but He made it conditional upon our forgiving those who had wronged us. The spirit of unforgiveness is the padlock that chains our prayers to the ground. Whenever Jesus taught on prayer and faith, He made the effectiveness of those prayers conditional on our forgiving those who have wronged us. In Mark 11:25, 26 we read: "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Heavy words indeed, but there is certainly no ambiguity to them.
As we enter our respective times of prayer, may we come to God with an openness that reflects all Jesus taught. Of course, we cannot hide who we are from our Him. Whether we choose to be transparent or not, He is fully aware of the condition of our hearts, and lest we forget, it is He who has set the terms and conditions on which He will answer our prayers. Who better to know what pleased God than God's Son? The words of Mary, Jesus' mother, was never more profound: "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it" (John 2:5). I submit that is advice worth following.
It is important to note the elements of The Prayer. At the very beginning it honors God, it sought the replication of the will of God on earth as it is in heaven, it recognizes God as the source for our daily provisions, it seeks the forgiveness of our sins in direct proportion to the extent we forgive others, and it seeks God's leading in our daily walk. Obviously, the words of Jesus were well chosen because in effect, the essence of His teaching was faith in God and purity of heart. We cannot hope to pray effectively if we have unforgiveness in our hearts. The Psalmist David wrote: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart..." (Psalm 23:3,4). It is interesting that Jesus did not simply teach asking for forgiveness, but He made it conditional upon our forgiving those who had wronged us. The spirit of unforgiveness is the padlock that chains our prayers to the ground. Whenever Jesus taught on prayer and faith, He made the effectiveness of those prayers conditional on our forgiving those who have wronged us. In Mark 11:25, 26 we read: "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Heavy words indeed, but there is certainly no ambiguity to them.
As we enter our respective times of prayer, may we come to God with an openness that reflects all Jesus taught. Of course, we cannot hide who we are from our Him. Whether we choose to be transparent or not, He is fully aware of the condition of our hearts, and lest we forget, it is He who has set the terms and conditions on which He will answer our prayers. Who better to know what pleased God than God's Son? The words of Mary, Jesus' mother, was never more profound: "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it" (John 2:5). I submit that is advice worth following.
Praying Effectively
The first verse of Luke 11 fascinates me. It reads, "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." Lest we forget, these men were Jews and would have prayed prayers of adoration, blessings, praise and so on while attending the synagogues. Yet there was something distinctive about the way John's disciples, and Jesus prayed. The very fact that they enquired of Jesus such teaching, after he finished praying, suggests that they recognized the difference in the prayers they prayed, and what they were hearing. Not only that, but they saw the results of Jesus' prayers first-hand.
Bible Scholar & Commentator Matthew Henry posited, "'Their request is, 'Lord, teach us to pray; give us a rule or model by which to go in praying, and put words into our mouths.'' Note, It becomes the disciples of Christ to apply themselves to him for instruction in prayer. Lord, teach us to pray, is itself a good prayer, and a very needful one, for it is a hard thing to pray well and it is Jesus Christ only that can teach us, by his word and Spirit, how to pray. 'Lord, teach me what it is to pray; Lord, excite and quicken me to the duty; Lord, direct me what to pray for; Lord, give me praying graces, that I may serve God acceptably in prayer; Lord, teach me to pray in proper words; give me a mouth and wisdom in prayer, that I may speak as I ought; teach me what I shall say.'"
I quite like that; "Lord, teach me to pray in proper words...teach me what I shall say." It is quite possible to be praying (saying prayers) in the wrong way. It is no wonder Paul encourages us to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18). In other words, let our prayers be be guided or directed by the Spirit. If He guides our prayers, it is fair to say that we will always be praying in the will of God, and I believe that those are the prayers that moves the hand of God. Do you want to pray effectively and not just be saying words? Maybe a good place to start in our next devotional moment is with the words, "Lord, teach me to pray" and allow Him to do so. If anyone knew how to pray effectively, He did. Think about it.
Bible Scholar & Commentator Matthew Henry posited, "'Their request is, 'Lord, teach us to pray; give us a rule or model by which to go in praying, and put words into our mouths.'' Note, It becomes the disciples of Christ to apply themselves to him for instruction in prayer. Lord, teach us to pray, is itself a good prayer, and a very needful one, for it is a hard thing to pray well and it is Jesus Christ only that can teach us, by his word and Spirit, how to pray. 'Lord, teach me what it is to pray; Lord, excite and quicken me to the duty; Lord, direct me what to pray for; Lord, give me praying graces, that I may serve God acceptably in prayer; Lord, teach me to pray in proper words; give me a mouth and wisdom in prayer, that I may speak as I ought; teach me what I shall say.'"
I quite like that; "Lord, teach me to pray in proper words...teach me what I shall say." It is quite possible to be praying (saying prayers) in the wrong way. It is no wonder Paul encourages us to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18). In other words, let our prayers be be guided or directed by the Spirit. If He guides our prayers, it is fair to say that we will always be praying in the will of God, and I believe that those are the prayers that moves the hand of God. Do you want to pray effectively and not just be saying words? Maybe a good place to start in our next devotional moment is with the words, "Lord, teach me to pray" and allow Him to do so. If anyone knew how to pray effectively, He did. Think about it.
Friday, January 26, 2007
A Present Help
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1, KJV).
One of the hardest things for most of us to do is to feel total dependency on another person. We strive to be independent, thinking that before we ask for help, we have to do everything in our power first. Of course, there are some who would take it to the extreme and simply refuse to ask for help. Yet, those who know God do not have to be 'do-it-yourselfers', because we know that by ourselves we can do nothing.
Jesus remind us in John 15:5 that "...without me ye can do nothing", and therefore regardless of the situations we find ourselves in, when our hearts are overwhelmed and nothing around us makes any sense, it is a comfort to know that we can depend on our Heavenly Father to be there to help and see us through. That is more than we can say about anybody else.
If you are a 'do-it-yourselfer', why not allow God to do what He alone can do? He is willing to help, if you are willing to trust Him with your cares and your worries. You will find it makes a world of a difference, and your load will be that much lighter. Why not do it today?
One of the hardest things for most of us to do is to feel total dependency on another person. We strive to be independent, thinking that before we ask for help, we have to do everything in our power first. Of course, there are some who would take it to the extreme and simply refuse to ask for help. Yet, those who know God do not have to be 'do-it-yourselfers', because we know that by ourselves we can do nothing.
Jesus remind us in John 15:5 that "...without me ye can do nothing", and therefore regardless of the situations we find ourselves in, when our hearts are overwhelmed and nothing around us makes any sense, it is a comfort to know that we can depend on our Heavenly Father to be there to help and see us through. That is more than we can say about anybody else.
If you are a 'do-it-yourselfer', why not allow God to do what He alone can do? He is willing to help, if you are willing to trust Him with your cares and your worries. You will find it makes a world of a difference, and your load will be that much lighter. Why not do it today?
Let's Just Praise the Lord
Devotional
One of my favourite pieces of music is Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus". There is something immeasurably majestic about it when played up-tempo, and it's quite the treat watching an accomplished pianist 'riding' the waves of emotions that emanates from this piece, fingers literally flying across the keyboard. It is difficult for me to listen to, or watch a performance of it, without feeling a sense of awe.
I get the same feeling when I read Psalm 150. When read with passion, one feels the emotions of the Psalmist who it seem was conducting his own orchestra of things that should offer praise. Listen to the sound of the trumpets, the psaltery and harp chiming in. Hear the timbrel and see the dance, followed by sounds of the stringed instruments and organs. The momentum builds as the loud cymbals come in, then the high sounding cymbals, and to a rousing crescendo of voices he invites his entire audience, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD" (v.6). The most exciting thing about this invitation is that while we may never be able to play Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus", we are all offered a part in this great chorus of praise. We are encouraged to lift our voices and "Praise God in his sanctuary, praise him in the mighty heavens...for his mighty deeds...according to his excellent greatness"(vv.1-2).
There is no greater performance than that of praising the Lord. Webster defines praise as to "glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections", and we who serve the King of Kings know that our God is perfect and the only one worthy of all praise. The angels around the thone spend all their time singing his praises (Isaiah 6:3); everything that has breath can certainly join in and that includes you. When was the last time *you* really praised the Lord?
One of my favourite pieces of music is Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus". There is something immeasurably majestic about it when played up-tempo, and it's quite the treat watching an accomplished pianist 'riding' the waves of emotions that emanates from this piece, fingers literally flying across the keyboard. It is difficult for me to listen to, or watch a performance of it, without feeling a sense of awe.
I get the same feeling when I read Psalm 150. When read with passion, one feels the emotions of the Psalmist who it seem was conducting his own orchestra of things that should offer praise. Listen to the sound of the trumpets, the psaltery and harp chiming in. Hear the timbrel and see the dance, followed by sounds of the stringed instruments and organs. The momentum builds as the loud cymbals come in, then the high sounding cymbals, and to a rousing crescendo of voices he invites his entire audience, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD" (v.6). The most exciting thing about this invitation is that while we may never be able to play Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus", we are all offered a part in this great chorus of praise. We are encouraged to lift our voices and "Praise God in his sanctuary, praise him in the mighty heavens...for his mighty deeds...according to his excellent greatness"(vv.1-2).
There is no greater performance than that of praising the Lord. Webster defines praise as to "glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections", and we who serve the King of Kings know that our God is perfect and the only one worthy of all praise. The angels around the thone spend all their time singing his praises (Isaiah 6:3); everything that has breath can certainly join in and that includes you. When was the last time *you* really praised the Lord?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Redeeming Grace
Devotional
Imagine the scene. The woman cowered in shame, stripped to the waist as was the custom of the day to magnify that shame. She had been caught in the act of adultery, and being Jewish, she knew the consequences. Her accusers, the religious leaders of the day, had dragged her to the temple where Jesus was teaching, not so much for justice to be meted out, but so they could trap him. The Mosaic Law required that the woman be stoned to death, but Roman law forbade the Jews from executing anyone. What would Jesus do?
The crowd knew the conflict, and the buzz in the air was pregnant with anticipation. If Jesus ruled she must be stoned, he would be breaking the Roman law. If he forbade her execution, he would be ignoring the Mosaic Law. From the outside it was a lose-lose proposition. The religious leaders smirked with satisfaction. Finally, they had Jesus where they wanted him and there was no way out of this dilemma; he was trapped. Jesus, knowing what was going on, stooped down and started writing on the ground. Thinking he was ignoring them, they demanded his answer. John tells us "so when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (8:7), then stooped down and continued writing. We do not know what he wrote, despite all the speculations, but John continued, "And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord." (vv.9-11a). It was then that the woman, under condemnation, heard from Jesus the most beautiful words ever spoken; "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (v. 11b).
Redeeming grace. Next to himself, the most precious gift that God gave to mankind. Though we stand accused by the Evil One, and the demand of the law for justice, the grace of our God steps in and redeems us from the law of sin and death. We have a lot to be thankful for, but if there is one thing we could single out, it is redeeming grace. No matter the magnitude of our sins, grace abounds even more. To God be the glory
Imagine the scene. The woman cowered in shame, stripped to the waist as was the custom of the day to magnify that shame. She had been caught in the act of adultery, and being Jewish, she knew the consequences. Her accusers, the religious leaders of the day, had dragged her to the temple where Jesus was teaching, not so much for justice to be meted out, but so they could trap him. The Mosaic Law required that the woman be stoned to death, but Roman law forbade the Jews from executing anyone. What would Jesus do?
The crowd knew the conflict, and the buzz in the air was pregnant with anticipation. If Jesus ruled she must be stoned, he would be breaking the Roman law. If he forbade her execution, he would be ignoring the Mosaic Law. From the outside it was a lose-lose proposition. The religious leaders smirked with satisfaction. Finally, they had Jesus where they wanted him and there was no way out of this dilemma; he was trapped. Jesus, knowing what was going on, stooped down and started writing on the ground. Thinking he was ignoring them, they demanded his answer. John tells us "so when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (8:7), then stooped down and continued writing. We do not know what he wrote, despite all the speculations, but John continued, "And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord." (vv.9-11a). It was then that the woman, under condemnation, heard from Jesus the most beautiful words ever spoken; "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (v. 11b).
Redeeming grace. Next to himself, the most precious gift that God gave to mankind. Though we stand accused by the Evil One, and the demand of the law for justice, the grace of our God steps in and redeems us from the law of sin and death. We have a lot to be thankful for, but if there is one thing we could single out, it is redeeming grace. No matter the magnitude of our sins, grace abounds even more. To God be the glory
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