Trials

Let's see if you are like I am. Most of the time I would say that I face trials and tests with a steadfast faith; an acceptance that this is His will and how can I learn from it. BUT, there are those other times when I wonder,(and wander), if there will ever be an extended period of time when I will have complete serenity. (I'm now picturing a Tibetan monk in a garden with water gently rippling down a stream, as a butterfly alights on my knee).

But seriously. Troubles are an unwelcome fact of life, but they can have value. Often what we wanted to avoid turns out to be the very thing we needed. God asks that we have a tender heart, a teachable spirit, and a yielded will.

Does that describe you?

I would say that I have some problems in all three areas.

Do we have a longing to always follow God's ways? Read Psalm 42:1

Are we willing to be taught by the "classroom" of His choice? Read 1Sam. 1:1-2:10; and John 11:17-27

Are we committed to His will? Read 2 Cor. 5:7; and John 15:5

Without Love

The next time you are sitting out on your porch in the beautiful spring evening or wake up to the welcoming sunrise and smell the crisp morning air on your way out to work, consider the seemingly endless hatred that occurs in other parts of the world. I was struck with the contrasts between that and what I experience in my surroundings.

The violence on the South Korean border; the continued atrocity in Darfur; the Taliban spewing hatred in the court room; the tendency to bash our country’s leaders instead of praying for God to give them wisdom; and the list goes on. Here I am in my peaceful surroundings while being bombarded with stories of violence, rage, and hate. I was thinking to myself how sad it is that humans continue to devastate one another. Where does this dark, evil hatred and violence from?

The God who created the birds that fill the morning air with voices of tranquility and peace created people who fill the world with destruction and chaos. How can this be?

In my morning devotion I focused on the Corinthians 13 and it became clear that I often feel the same rage and anger toward those folks who I view as a threat to my sense of security and well-being.

Like the guy in the SUV, who while talking on his cell phone and exceeding the speed limit by 20 MPH nearly hit me as I started to pull out in front of him. He laid on his horn for several seconds, looked at me with disgust and shook his head. I really wanted to mouth two words to him so that he would know exactly what I thought of him. I could have also included some sign language just to be certain he understood how I felt.

To be embarrassing and shamefully honest there was a split second that I thought to myself, “I dare you to get out of your car. I will make you eat that cell phone.”

Out of the same heart that tells my wife she is beautiful; out of the same heart that says, “I love you Jesus”, out of the same heart--
speaks wicked rage. This should not be.

This morning it hit me, in many ways my heart is no different at times than those barbarians I read about in the newspaper. I am capable of some extreme feelings and potential acts of hostility despite my claims of spirituality and being a follower of Jesus.

I may not act on my impulses but it seems to be only by the grace of God that I don’t.

My heart needs help.

When I respond to another’s actions that threaten my sense of well-being and security with hatred or rage I am no different than those I accuse. Jesus said that it’s what comes out of a person that corrupts the person. What comes out of me is apparently what was in my heart—evil. I could have rationalized and justified a stupid, ego-driven, fear-based sense of rage. In the dark corners of my closet I am no different than many of those thugs I hear about on the news. I found this to be shocking—and very humbling.

At times I am nothing more than a loud gong and a clanging cymbal; the noises that drown out the beauty of the birds who fill the earth with God’s beauty and serenity.

I may have the faith to move mountains but not the faith to allow God to remove the mountain of self-righteousness inside of me that prevents me from being love.

I may cherish the hope for more peace in the boundaries of humanity but I don’t possess the love within the boundaries of my own heart to help create the peace that I hope for the world.
I can possess much hope and faith to see change in the world but without love on my part, its all for nothing.

Faith in The Storms

It's easy to have faith that God is going to do something in the distant future. For example, if you walked into church and asked the congregation,"Who believes that Jesus Christ is returning?" nearly every hand would go up. But if you ask a guy who is drowning in debt if he thinks God can eliminate his debts in three months, he's likely to express doubts. And yet our day-to-day life is where we must practice unswerving faith if we hope to be effective for the Lord.

James (chap.1) tells us that our faith can't be like the waves of the sea that rush first in one direction and then seem to double back on themselves and race the opposite way. In the Christian life, we rush forward to do the Lord's will until He makes a difficult request or allows a painful experience to come into our lives. Suddenly we are driven in the other direction by our doubts.

The reason we hesitate to trust God fully is that we judge our circumstances by what we see. Sight is the enemy of faith because our eyes and brains can't envision a way for God to do what He promises. Our knowledge of scripture tells us that our faithful God can do anything, yet we forget and doubt.

Faith can overcome doubt only through action. We must turn a blind eye to circumstances and make the first step toward doing God's work. If we exercise our faith every day, those seas won't be so rough.

Practicing Discernment

Spiritual discernment develops slowly. The Lord doesn’t simply pour knowledge into our heads; we must seek His will daily and study to understand Him better. To do so, we need to regularly spend time in the Word and place ourselves under the Holy Spirit’s teaching.

I know, I know… easier said than done… right?

Church is where we receive instruction. If a poll were taken as people left weekly services, they would give many different reasons for attending: worshipping, fellowshipping, encouraging one another, and inviting others to receive Jesus Christ. How many would say they come to learn righteousness? Yet, teaching about holiness is a primary calling of the pastor. (Ez. 44:23)

A minister’s goal should be to teach in such a way that parishioners hear a godly principle and learn to apply it. In this way, believers grow in spiritual discernment.

Instruction doesn’t do any good unless we practice what we learn. David exercised spiritual discernment throughout his life. He went against conventional military wisdom, facing Goliath armorless and with a few stones. (1 Sam 17:37-39) Later, he repeatedly avoided claiming the throne until God’s plan was fully revealed. But David made mistakes as well, such as his indiscretions with the married Bathsheba. We, too, can ignore the Spirit’s promptings and instead appease our own desires.

Recognizing principles is not enough; we must live out what we learn. It’s wise to observe the consequences of obedience and disobedience so that we, like David, can grow in our spiritual discernment.

He Works All Things!

Romans 8:18-30
James Lindsey Smith’s ordeal was “a thrilling narrative of escape.” Under cover of darkness, he and two other men sailed a small boat from Virginia to Maryland. There the men were separated, and Smith managed to avoid detection as he walked alone through Delaware to Pennsylvania. Along the way a woman fed him. In Philadelphia, a man secretly sheltered him and arranged to get him to New York. There he met others who helped him travel to Norwich, Connecticut, where he settled, married, and became a preacher.
The year was 1838 and Smith was a black slave. Like thousands of others, his journey on the “Underground Railroad” was conducted by nameless individuals who assisted and protected him. With their help, Smith eventually made it to freedom. In a similar way, believers are on a journey from bondage to glorious freedom (v. 21). Along the way, we’re helped in our weakness by the Spirit, who intercedes for us and leads us according to God’s will.
But before glory, there’s much suffering. On the one hand, our present suffering doesn’t compare to this future glory (v. 18). In fact, this glory will be so great that the entire creation groans eagerly for it! Because we have the Spirit, we too groan, because deep down we know that this present life isn’t all there is. We long for our resurrection bodies, which will be free from corruption and decay.
On the other hand, however, God knows that our present suffering could overwhelm us, so He assures us of two things. First, we’re not alone. The Spirit helps us in our weakness and translates our groaning into inexpressible words before the Father. Second, God assures us that He’s working redemptively in every circumstance we encounter (v. 28). This doesn’t mean that things will turn out how we expect, or that we’ll have comfort and ease. Rather, it means that God uses every situation to make us more like Jesus Christ. What an amazing assurance, even in our darkest trials!

Moving Mountains

We Christians have the capacity to believe God for far more than we are willing to ask Him to do. Instead of demonstrating a solid conviction of His faithfulness, we often act out of weak, halfhearted belief.

The Lord is waiting for us to come to Him in complete trust.

The people who are living the richest spiritual lives are those who expect the Lord to do great things- they exercise the gift of faith.

Exercising faith can't be passive. Notice how action words follow every mention of faith in Hebrews 11 (prepared, obeyed, and lived). Instead of folding our hands and waiting for God to do something, we need to get busy. Our first reponibility is to go before the Lord with our petition, often more than once. Then, we must consciously decide to trust Him for an answer and wait with the assurance that He will always follow through with His promises.

We have the potential for Him to work powerfully in and through us. Of course, He doesn't ask us to tackle more than we can handle.

Start today by giving Him the small anxieties that plague you. Or ask God for one change you want Him to make in your life.

Praying Specifically

Look around any day, and you'll see people who need to make changes in their lives. Maybe you have a brother who doesn't know Christ or a believing friend who struggles with lust or can't keep from gossiping. The most powerful way to effect change in another person's life- or our own- is by praying. God, through the apostle Paul, has given us a prayer pattern that is Christ-centered and specific.

Too often, we are lazy in prayer. We say, "Lord bless so-and-so" without giving a single thought to what form the blessing should take. God does not work in generalities; He makes deliberste movements in every person's life. And He is pleased when we use His Word when talking with Him. Paul's prayer from Colossians 1 includes God's greatest desires for His children. He delights in responding to requests that someone be filled with the knowledge of His will and a desire to please Him!

Results may not be instantaneous. We could wait months or years before we see a loved one turn to Christ or witness a beleiver bearing fruit. But remember that The Lord is working all things, even if we don't see it. Our responsibility is to keep praying in a Christ-centered and specific manner.

Get Out Of The Way

Have you ever noticed how we spend so much time trying to "get" what God wants us to receive?

We always want our miracle, but we don't get out of the way.

I recently read in 1 Samuel 13 where the prophet Samuel told King Saul to wait for him to return to offer a burnt offering to the Lord before going into battle against the Philistines. Saul waited the alloted 7 days, and when Samuel didn't show on schedule, Saul got nervous and took it upon himself to make supplication to the Lord himself. Because of his lack of faith, God's blessing was taken from him.
In another case, Abraham and Sarah were promised a child in their old age. They waited and waited, and finally, Sarah decided that she had the solution. Abraham should lay with her maidservant. As we all know, that was not God's plan.

At least in my life, I have found that every time I try to take care of it for Him, it only breeds frustration. It's only when I say, "That's it, I'm finished. I can't do it anymore", that He can do His best work in my life.

That's a key word there. BEST.

Saul still defeated the Philistines that day
Sarah ended up having the promised child, but there was and is a rift to this day between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael.

God will still work through us, around us, and in spite of us, but to receive His best, we need to get out of the way.

Ever Feel Resentment?

Resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other person will get sick.

Resentment is an unmet expectation.
Resentment: Indignation or ill will felt as a result of a real or imagined grievance.

Do you have any resentment?

Think about the people you resent. You know them when you see them. What do you do? Increasing irritability and difficulty letting go of resentment can be signs of depression.

I am in a decent place right now, but it doesn’t take long to begin to feel resentful toward a person, especially if I don’t deal with my sense of frustration or hurt immediately.

I don’t like resentment because I am the one who gets sick—not the person I am resenting.

I’d like to say that I attempt to address my issues with another person upfront and as soon as possible- but I don’t. I’d feel so much better. Sometimes it is only after the fact and I notice my feelings. Right then, I should make myself go to the person and let them know what I'm feeling. My wife is really good at that (one of the many reasons I love her). You'd think that it should be easier with family members or close friends, but, at least for me, it isn't. I think I'm afraid of hurting a relationship, where in reality, I'm probably not giving the other person enough credit to accept my perceptions maturely. I need to dwell on that a bit. Anyway, I’m sure I would find that I am much less sarcastic. I need to remember that I’m doing it for myself. I’d probably sleep better as a result. And I bet I’d find I spend considerably less time working through forgiveness or attempting to forget.

Even with the simple things.

Poison is substance that causes injury, illness, or death. Resentment poisons me.

Sell Your Soul For A Quick Buck

Here we go again.

There is yet another book coming out disputing the divinity of Jesus our Christ.
I saw an interview with the author of "The Jesus Letters" the other day on a national news program. These letters supposedly support the claim that Jesus not only conspired with Pontius Pilate to fake His death, but He continued to live another 45 years and wrote letters claiming that He was not the virgin born Son of the Living God.

An interesting point: The interviewer quoted the author, saying, "There is incontravertable evidence in these letters." The interviewer commented that that was a very strong statement and asked if the author had ever seen these letters. To which the author replied, "I have never seen them, but was told about them by a reputable Theologian."

1 Timothy 4: 1-2
The Great Apostasy

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron

Clear the Temple!

“In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” John 2:14-15

What are the tables that need to be kicked over in your life? Who are the money changers that crowd the temple of your soul that need to be driven out of your life so that you can make space for God?

I think it is all too easy to immediately go to those negative areas of our “character defects” and think that we must cleanse ourselves of all our impurities.

Perhaps what needs to be driven out of our lives is fear, perfectionism, and worry etc. and from the religious laws and rituals that we attempt to abide by in order to make ourselves acceptable and pleasing to God. Perhaps what needs to be slaughtered and given up to God is our idea that we are unlovable and undeserving of our Creator’s love based on our merits, instead of God’s grace. Isn’t this one of the main messages of Jesus? He begins to break laws and codes that have robbed people of their humanity and dignity and he claims God’s love for all people, especially those kicked to the roadside by religion.

When we cleanse the temple it makes those who want to control God uncomfortable and paranoid but frees us to encounter God in our soul and to loosen our grip and enjoy the ride. Then we can say , "Look God, no hands!"

The Journey

"It seems that Christians have been worshipping Jesus' journey instead of doing his journey. The first seems religious, the second seems human." Richard Rohr

What makes one a Christian?

Depending on who you ask, you'll get various answers. Some would say Baptism as a sacrament makes one a Christian; it is a work of God's grace.

Some would say belief and then have a set of doctrines to follow.

Over the past several years I have been asking myself how Jesus would answer that question. I'm beginning to believe that doing his journey is what he desires.

It seems that doing his journey is being committed to a person-- Jesus. The other seems to be more about religious belief and doctrine. How does our faith impact, not our individual lives, but also the lives of those around us? His message was much, much more broad than an individual, personal salvation.

Many spend a great deal of time talking about why Jesus died but perhaps another relevant question is, why did Jesus live? What did Jesus live for? It seems to me the very thing that he lived for was the reason that some tried to kill him.

At some point we are to walk in his shoes or at least in his footprints.

What do you think?

Giving it over

Luke 18:22 "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow me."

Jesus Christ says a great deal that we listen to, but don't necessarily hear. When we do hear, His words are amazingly hard to take.

Jesus made no attempt to keep the guy with Him. He simply said-Sell all you have, and come, follow Me. Our Lord never pleaded, He never cajoled; He simply spoke the sternest words mortal ears ever listened to, and then left it alone.

Have I ever heard Jesus say a hard word? Has He said something personally to me that I deliberately listened to? Not something that I could expound on or negotiate around, but something un-compromising.

This man did understand what Jesus said, he heard it and he sized up what it meant, and it broke his heart. He didn't go away defiant; he went away sorrowful, thoroughly discouraged. He came to Jesus full of the fire of earnest desire, and the word of Jesus froze him; instead of producing an enthusiastic devotion, it produced a heartbreaking discouragement.

Our Lord knows perfectly that when we have heard His word, sooner or later, it will bear fruit.
We will stay at that point until we give it, release it, reject it, etc. I wonder what we will say when we do make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point?

One thing is certain, He will never cast us away.

Holy Spirit Study 2

It is important that the Old and New Testaments are in synch with respect to the Holy Spirit's deity. In Exodus 31:3, the word Elohim is used for the Spirit of God, while in Isaiah 11:2, the word Yahweh is used for the Spirit of the Lord. In Romans 8:9, Paul makes it clear that the OT refers to the deity of the Holy Spirit.

Numerous Bible texts show that the Holy Spirit is God, since He is ascribed the same qualities as God the Father. He is eternal (Heb.9:14); He is all knowing (1Cor.2:10-11); He is all powerful (Rom.15:18-19); and He is everywhere present (Ps.139:7). The names of the persons of the Trinity are also joined in a way that implies full and complete equality of Being and deity (Matt.28:19; 2Cor.13:14).

The Holy Spirit is the only One who can give inner certainty and assurance of our right relationship with God (Rom.8:16). He bears witness to the truth of Jesus' life and ministry (John15:26). He indwells and gives strength to believers (1Cor.6:19; Eph.3:16). He calls and separates believers for Christian service (Acts 8:29; 13:2; 16:6-7). He empowers believers to proclaim the truth that they have known (Acts1:8).

To deny the deity of the Holy Spirit, as some theologians do, is also to deny His personality, making Him only an influence.

The Holy Spirit Study 1

The writers of Scripture leave little question that the Spirit of God was involved in the creation of the universe. Although the personhood and deity of God's Spirit are not revealed and explained in the Old Testament, Judeo-Christian believers have always inferred His being. Only 3 references to the Holy Spirit by that name are found in the OT (Ps. 51:11; Is. 63:10-11), but other names occur, both covert and crystal clear. The full revelation of the Holy Spirit is found in the New Testament, where there are at least 93 references (per the exhaustive concordance).

The Old Testament word for spirit, ruach, is also translated air, wind, or breath and can mean life, vitality, and storm. This term emphasizes that the Spirit's work is practical. It expresses activity without defining the Spirit's being. Ruach does not imply quiet breath or wind, but a strong motion. The Spirit of the Lord is the mysterious, powerful method of God's activity and dynamic presence in creation. The Spirit is also the animating force of the first man, (He breathed life into Adam).

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, the Executor of the Godhead. This means all that God has done or is doing in the universe is through the Spirit. When we make these statements we are describing God in action, not only in the universe but also in His redemptive purpose for those who choose to accept.

Fun Friday!

Your boss has just asked you to give a speech in front of the whole company. There is approximately 300 of your associates in the auditorium. Here's the problem......
You have to give the speech naked.

What is your opening statement?

So noone else steals it first, mine would be...... "Is there a draft in here or is it just me?"

har har har!

On Compassion pt.2

I could not say this better...so I won't try.

From John Baillie's- A Diary of Private Prayer: A Devotional Classic, 1949

O Father in Heaven, who didst fashion my limbs to serve Thee
and my soul to follow hard after Thee, with sorrow and con-
trition of heart I acknowledge before Thee the faults and fail-
ures of the day that is now past....

My failure to be true even to my own accepted standards:

My self-deception in the face of temptation:

My choosing of the worse when I know the better:
O Lord, forgive.

My failure to apply to myself the standards of conduct I
demand of others:

My blindness to the suffering of others and my slowness
to be taught by my own:

My complacence toward wrongs that do not touch my own
case and my over- sensitiveness to those that do:

My slowness to see the good in my fellows and to see the
evil in myself:

My hardness of heart toward my neighbors' faults and
my readiness to make allowances of my own:

My unwillingness to believe that Thou hast called me to a
small work and my brother to a great one:
O Lord, forgive.

What a powerful and humbling prayer.

On Compassion pt.1

So how do we become more compassionate?

The first step occurs on our knees. I think we must confess our lack of concern.

The promise of 1John 1:9 involves both forgiveness and cleansing: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins." We often forget the second part of the verse: "...and purify us from all unrighteousness."

God not only declares us forgiven and justified but also furthers the cleansing work that He began in us.

When we confess that we don't care if our neighbor is going to hell, God pardons and also perfects. He makes us less stained, wrinkled, angry, contemptuous, or self-absorbed.

We might need to tell our heavenly Father, "I don't care about some people the way I should. I have a cold heart. Please make me more like You- caring, compassionate, gracious, and abounding in mercy. Give me as great a longing to see Your work in people around me as I long for it within my own life. I need You to work this out of me, because I cannot manufacture this kind of compassion by myself."

-more later.

How Much More!

We were studying in Luke 12 last night and there was a discussion about how often in God's Word, He promises us "How Much More." Each time, He emphasises our value. He gets into all of this to tell us how much He loves us, so we don't have to worry.

Often, people feel just the opposite. They feel that because they worry, He isn't going to be there because of their lack of faith- or until they get it right. That's alot of pressure.

The point is that you can waste energy on worry if you want, but there is little we can do in these matters, besides trusting God.

We discussed verse 30 and how the pagan nations have needs(desires) and will do whatever to get these needs met.

The flip side of that worldly view is the assurance we, The children of our Father, can trust that He knows and will provide.

One gentleman spoke up and said that this was all good in theory, but how do we put this into practice? To consistently trust and not worry.

I would like to know your thoughts.

Fun Friday 4

When you were a kid, did you ever make up another name for yourself? Well today you can pick another name that you would like to have, but just for the day!

Mine would be James Deucelion. The last name sounds like: Doo-say-lee-own. I just think it sounds cool rolling off the tongue.

Have fun!