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The Cross, Prayer and Worship

My Circumstances

This morning is a collection of thoughts that have been coming together over the past week or so.  I have been feeling scattered, and struggling with headaches, and I have been a bit down just because.  But there has been this consistency in all my selfishness, and that is Jesus.

I woke this morning about 2:30 AM very suddenly.  It was a need to repent for a series of selfish thoughts that have been getting the best of me.  The one that God used to wake me was my response to the issues with electricity going out last night.

When I got jarred awake, the first thought I had was how selfish I had been.  I tried to rationalize it, after all, I had this horrible headache. And without electricity, I cannot go to bed.  I have to sleep sitting up because I use a C-PAP.  And the list rolled on.  I was just so selfish, and it was enough that God woke me with this feeling of… “Quit it, Enough already.” I was humbled by this thought of how selfish I was being, and I need to make things right with God.  I needed to repent and be thankful.

I have to admit that I was embarrassed. I have so much to be thankful for, and I could not see it because I focused on my circumstances instead of Christ Jesus.  Instead of being thankful for the linemen making the repairs I was allowing the adversary to use my headache and being very tired to turn my thoughts inward.  But it did not stop there.

“Here I am to Worship”

I have been waking up every morning for at least a week singing the refrain from a song by Michael W. Smith.   The part that has been rolling through my head has been the part about the cross.

“I’ll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

I’ll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross.”

As I sang that song to myself this morning, I was humbled again.  I thought about Jesus and all that he did for me.  It turned my prayer time upside down, for lack of a better way to explain it, and I had this flood of disappointment in my behavior.  But I prayed, and I pushed forward.  I read Utmost For His Highest.

“The Collision of God and Sin”

The title of today’s devotional is  “The Collision of God and Sin, ” and the closing paragraph got my attention.

“The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.”

I read that passage several times, especially the last sentence.  I cannot fathom the pain Christ Jesus took for me.  For my salvation.

Reflection

Jesus endured all this because of His unselfish love for me.  No one on earth could make Him do this.  He made the final decision, and He humbled Himself in obedience to His Father for me.  That sacrifice paid my debt.  All the cost and pain of the collision between God and sin was absorbed by the heart of God.

My Hope

Conclusion

I ran all these thoughts over in my head, and I realized God had forgiven me the instant I came to Him in repentance, and I needed to let it go.  Sure the thought is there still but it is not a punishment it is a reminder for the next time I feel sorry for myself.  This phrase kept running through my head, “far as the east is from the west” so I googled it.

I found it was Psalm 103:12  I read 103:7-14

8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 He will not always chide,

nor will he keep his anger forever.

10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

13 As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.

14 For he knows our frame;

he remembers that we are dust. Psalms 103:8-14 (ESV)

I will never stop being amazed by how God guides me with whatever tool he chooses to use to keep me on the path.  It can even be a song lyric, but it always ends in His Word.

Prayer

Father thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirt and your discipline when I need it.  Thank you for your love and grace.  Thank you for the gift of repentance.

Father, I praise you!  I thank you, and I cherish your forgiveness.

Lord please never stop correcting me to keep me in step with you.

I pray this all In the name of your blessed Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

Mentoring and Fellowship With our Children

Cross-Training Kids

This morning God kept nudging me with a bit of a different topic for the blog.  It is about fellowship and mentoring.

Yesterday my routine was a bit different.   I got up at the regular time, and I prayed, and I read a bit, but I had to get ready to go fishing with The Cross-Training youth group by 9:00 so I did not have time to post, but It was so worth it.  I got to church a bit before 9:00 as the crowd of kids shuffled in to go fishing at a farm pond that belongs to a member of the church.

It was fun watching the kids as they signed up for the trip and got ready to load up for the short trip to the farm pond. Before we loaded up the vans to make the trip, there was some discussion about the rules, and we all prayed together before we hit the road for the short trip to the farm.

The pond was located a good piece back, so when we got there, the church vans had to be abandoned for a tractor and hay wagon and a few 4-wheel drive trucks to pack people and supplies for fishing.

A Wagon Load

Sharing God’s Word

The kids piled into the wagon, and we traveled slowly back to the pond, but instead of the mad dash to the pond at the end of the ride Scott, our youth minister, gave a lesson to the kids.  As the resident photographer of the trip, I snapped photos of everyone as they listen to the lesson, and my heart melted a bit as I listened.  The kids were engaged and listened.  Many were speaking up when Scott asked a question, and these Kids are the preschool to 5th grade.

I cannot help but think of Proverbs 22:6 this morning as I write this Blog this morning.

6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.

There is this tremendous responsibility we have to our children, and we do not always get it right.  Sometimes we blow it.  But this fundamental teaching is so important, and even if we blow it sometimes, if we keep it in our hearts it will bear fruit, and I got to see a lot of that yesterday.  I could not help but think of Isaiah 55:10-12

Isaiah 55:10-12

This passage is one of my many favorites, and it played out yesterday.

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:10-12 (ESV)

When children are exposed to the Word of God, it is certain to bear fruit.

Let the Fishing Begin

When Scott had completed his lesson, the kids headed to the Pond.  The first thing they had to do was complete some things that Scott had asked them to do, and then they found a spot to fish.

Now, most know that I cannot trek around a lot and a friend got me a chair to use, and I set up on one side of the pond prepared to watch kids fish and take photos.  That is where I saw the fruit of the lesson.  It was everywhere, and I was so blessed to capture it.  I want to share 3 of my favorite.

 

A Daughters First Fish

Father and Daughter

There was a young girl and her Dad, and he was helping her cast her line and teaching her the fine points of fishing.  But you could see the smiles and the heart of the father working with his daughter and the moment she caught the fish it was difficult to tell who was more excited.  It is a memory that they will both share, and it was so precious because God was there.  He gave the father patience to work with his daughter, and she trusted him unconditionally.

The photo tells the story better than I could.

 

 

A Helping Hand

A bit later I watched a young man; I am not sure how old he is, show love and kindness to another.  He was catching fish one after another, and a young man next to him had not caught anything.  This young man asked the adult there if it would be ok if the next time he hooked a fish, the younger boy could reel it in.  Well, it took about five mins for him to hook a fish and the next thing you know these two kids are working together to pull in this fish.

It reminded me of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV)

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

I loved the moment I could capture of those two boys working together, and that leads me to my last story

Wise Council

Wise Counsel

The last story came from a shot I took across the pond.  There was a young man a teenager, sitting with a younger boy.  As the younger boy was sitting and fishing the two were smiling and talking.  I thought of the times where God tells us of the importance of wise council, but I could not remember the verse this morning.  So, I did a Google Search and found Provers 27:9

As I looked at the photo, I thought of this verse and the two boys.  One close to manhood and the other so young and my heart smiled as I looked at the two.  All I could think as I captured the photo was a mentor and friend relationship and this verse fit.

 9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Proverbs 27:9 (ESV)

Closing

These were but a few of the joys I witnessed yesterday, and I am sure there were more that I missed, but I ran out of steam and had to go home while I still had the juice to drive.

The thing about the morning that gave me joy was the kindness and love that God let me see.  I could not help but think of the passage in Matthew.

2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, Matthew 18:2-5 (ESV) 

What an awesome opportunity we must teach our children.  What an awesome responsibility.

Prayer

Father, please help me that I might be a good example to the children around me.  I pray that I might be an encourager as they grow and Lord humble myself to be like a child when I come to you in Your Word and prayer.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen

 

Love and Forgiveness

Light in through the Fog

Ok, this morning I experienced a bit of pruning by the Holy Spirit.  It came after reading the K-Love Encouraging Word for the day.  The verse was Luke 6:31, it is the Golden Rule verse.  When I was a kid nearly every classroom in Elementary School posted it on the wall.  In a moment, I realized that this truth was one of those that I had heard so many times that it had lost its weight and significance.

I read through it quickly and dismissed it with the flippant… “everybody knows that” response and went on to look for more serious scripture…  but the Lord was not going to let me off the hook.

After reading the verse.  I read a few other things and then prayed for guidance and understanding as I began my Bible study.   That was when I was reminded of Luke 6:31 and I read it again; this time in the ESV translation.

Luke 6:31 (ESV) 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Context

As I opened my Bible and read the passage, I noticed that it was part of a bigger command by Christ Jesus.  In my ESV translation, it was under the heading ‘Love Your Enemies’, and that made me pause and read all the passage.   The context of the whole passage was significant.  You know single verses are catchy, and they make me feel good, but the Holy Spirit reminded me this morning that the Bible carries a powerful message that I must take care not to pick and choose these single verses but look at the context.

Luke 6:27-36

I went back and read the whole passage.

Luke 6:27-36 (ESV) Love Your Enemies

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

As I read the two paragraphs, I realized the “Golden Rule” was a transition phrase connecting the two paragraphs in this passage together.  It summarizes what Jesus was saying about loving my enemies and takes me to the next thought that defines the meaning of truly loving my enemies.

Part 1 “Who do you love”

I reread verses 27-30, and it was humbling.

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.

First off, He was not speaking to everyone; only those that could hear him.  If you look at Strongs hearing is not a casual half listening.   It is hearing to understand.  It requires paying attention with a desire to learn from the process.  So, to those that were listening, he defined who to love.

Jesus listed a list that most of us struggle with loving.  I know I am better at this than I was, but I have so much more to do. Jesus did not say tolerate those who hate you.  He said to love them.  Then He shares the Golden Rule.

Transition

Jesus closes that thought and proceeds to tell us the list of those that are included.   He says in verse 31;

31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

He tugs at that emotion we have to be liked and treated with kindness, and He is very direct in telling us what to do.  But in the next paragraph, He lists those whom we should include in this love list.

Part 2 “Who do you Love”

The next paragraph lists the who, how and why of this command.

Luke 6:32-36 (ESV) 32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Christ spells out how we are to set ourselves apart in how we love.  It is not enough to love as the sinners do.  There is nothing holy about that kind of love.  That is easy.  We are to love those that hate us and mean us harm.  When I look at this seriously considering each piece to the command, I realize it is daunting, but Christ never leaves us hanging.  He explains why we should love like this in the second half of verse 35-36.

“35b and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

What an awesome gift.  If we love like this, we love as God loves us and with the mercy for others like He shows us.  And we will be children of the Most High!  But it did not stop there for me.  I read the next passage. That passage was titled ‘Judging Others, ‘ and I am sure that Jesus did that on purpose.

Judging

I looked at that passage, and I was reminded how natural and easy it is to make a quick judgment of someone and how wrong it is to do so.

Luke 6:37-38 (ESV) Judging Others

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

I read this a couple of times and recognized the power in this passage… the strong warning.  So, I looked up “Judge” in my Strongs, and I will spare you the Greek and share what It says about the words used to define “Judge.”

g2919. κρίνω krinō; properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish: — avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.

That definition is not easy to read, but after a few times through it, I realize that this judgment thing is serious.  To do it is to take God’s job.  The condemn and punishment job is not mine.  Only God knows my heart and only can He judge me or anyone else.  I am to love and forgive and share the Gospel.  That is my job.

Teaching

This does not mean I ignore it when I see someone sinning.  It does not mean that I ignore it when I see a Christian Brother or Sister in rebellion.  Jesus tells us how to do that.  Paul also defines it in several places.  I think my favorite is in 2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

We have a responsibility to stand on the truth.  We must not be afraid to speak out when we see someone rebelling.  That does not mean to tell someone to take care of it.  It means to go to the person in love and discuss it with them.  Jesus tells us step by step in Matthew 18:15-20 and Paul also in 1 Corinthians 5.  We have an obligation to stand on the truth of God’s Word in love and confront brothers and sisters who sin against us.

Closing

As I look at these passages this morning, I know that without the Holy Spirit in me I could not possibly do any of these things as God has laid them out for me, but with God all things are possible.

I know that I cannot accomplish anything if I am not connected to Him through His Word and prayer.  If I actively listen, He will guide every step I take.  I am thankful for Him and His love and guidance.  Praise God and to Him goes all the glory.

Prayer

Father, help me today to listen and obey.  Help me that I may not take a single word or passage from Your Holy Word for granted.  Help me to remember every word of scripture is “God breathed.”

Let all of them be carved in my heart.  In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

Psalm 19 – ‘The Law of the Lord is Perfect’

God’s Glory

Today is a bit of a different day.  It has been good, but just different.  This morning  I read K-loves verse of the day out of Psalm 19, so I started my Bible study there.  The Psalm has titled ‘The Law of the Lord is Perfect’ and David is credited with writing it.  Well, that is where my focus stayed this morning.

Any of you that know me know that I love photography and much of that is of God’s creation and of that piece most are of the rising sun.  Pat and I live on a hill with an unobstructed view of the eastern sky.  Lexington is on the horizon, and I often take photos through a small gate that is between some trees.  I cannot imagine how anyone can look at the sunrise and not know that God created it.

Psalm 19:1-3

As I read verses 1-3, I was filled with peace and contentment in the tie between creation and God’s Word.  If you can just take a moment to soak in God’s creation, you cannot miss seeing Him or hear his Words.  Just these first three verses fill my heart with joy in knowing Him.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard. Psalms 19:1-3 (ESV)

I am awestruck by how the Lord shows Himself in His creation.  I like what Paul says in Roman’s 1

Romans 1:19-20

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:19-20 (ESV)

I read this passage and cannot help but be puzzled by how long it took me to see God.  How long I looked at creation and only saw the surface.   I am thankful that God turned my head because as I read a bit further in the text I see myself even more.

 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Romans 1:21-23 (ESV)

That was the old me. I give thanks for God’s grace.  I give thanks for His gift of repentance and I I am beyond words when I think of Jesus giving His life to pay my debt of sin and rebellion.  Through all this, I have been saved, and God has given me a thirst for His Word that I might seek Him.

Psalm 19:4-9

 

I read verse 4-9, and I see Jesus, and I see the His righteousness, strength, and power.  His Word “revives my soul.”

 

4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.

Reading this why would I not desperately desire the  Word of God printed on my heart.

Psalm:19:10–11

Just look at the next verses.  What is more precious than God’s Word.  What worldly thing can truly sustain us?  In my mind… nothing!

10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

I think of this passage, and I see a gift that cannot be valued by the world.  There is no metric that can contain it.  Nothing compares to God and His Holy Word and no one can see into my heart like God.

Psalm 19:12-13

Then I get to verse 12, and I see God’s council and grace.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

He is my protector and my fortress.  In the Lord is my refuge.  He will show me in His Wordwise council IF I seek Him.  I am humbled by His grace and mercy as well as His love and discipline.

What can I do in my strength but rebel?  My only hope is in trusting God.

Psalm 19:14

This last verse is part of my daily prayer.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer

I can pray for a multitude of things.  But my greatest desire is to be in step with my Lord.  That the Words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable in His sight.

I know I fall short every day, but I know that if I will humble myself and repent God will forgive me. And The Holy Spirit in me helps me if I will listen and when my pride takes over He shows it to me and reminds me of the words in verse 14, and that is humbling.

Prayer

Thank you, Father, for this morning time with you.  Thank you for the strength and understanding your word reveals to me daily.

I thank you for your Word.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

Pray for All Brothers and Sisters in Christ

My Church, Nineveh Christian Church, every year in May, beginning on the Sunday before the National Day of Prayer reads God’s Word from beginning to end in roughly 76 hours reading around the clock.  Each member will select a 1/2-hour slot, and we read nonstop until we finish  Wednesday night at about midnight.

This event 3-4 years ago was when I had a change in How I looked at prayer.  It began in the weeks preceding when I was finishing up Job.  It was in chapter 42:10

 10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10 (ESV)

That verse became for me a constant reminder of prayer, but it did not sink in until my turn to read during the 76 hours of God’s Word at church.

76 Hours of God’s Word

This reading was the second year that we did it as a Church.  I had read the first year and had done so in the old testament.  This year I was going to sign up for a later day to try and read in the new testament to spare myself of all the names that I cannot pronounce.  I did end up in the new testament.  It was in Romans.  It was Romans 16.

As I began to read 16 all the names that I had hoped to avoid were there in the first several verses.  Paul was telling the Church at Rome to greet all these people, but as I read this chapter Job 42:10 kept coming to mind and I began to think as I read, and well after finishing the need to pray.

Pray for Everyone

What God laid on my heart was a need to pray for all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.  The thought that still lingers for me is to pray, not just for the infirm or those suffering loss, but for all Christians.  Why? Because we do not know the burdens, others carry.  We see their faces on Sunday but know little else about them.

At the time I did not know how true that was.  Prayer for others became important to me, but the reality of how little we know about others burdens did not hit me until later when things made a big change for me.

Romans 16:17-19

As I reflected on all these things this morning I reviewed Job, and I reviewed Romans 16, and I just prayed.  I read verses 17-19 and was reminded of how this all tied together on that day.

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.  Romans 16:17-19 (ESV)

I read that passage, and I thought; How can I know these things?  What came to mind was to pray.  Pray for discernment, pray for wisdom, and pray for everyone that they may find wisdom and strength in God’s Word.  Pray for protection of the weak from those that would mislead them.  Pray that all might be drawn to God’s Word for wisdom and strength.

Confession

I admit that I do not pray for my whole church family individually.  I pray for the body.  I also confess I do neglect this part of my prayers some days and I do so for no good reason.  But this morning God reminded me that I was falling short on this, and I knew better.  That is why I ended up here with this need to share and confess my shortfalls.  God just used that pruning knife to remind me of this important piece of my prayer life.

One Body

We are one body in Christ.  All united as one with each having purpose and no one person is above another.  I think of how Paul taught this in Romans and 1 Corinthians.

 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Romans 12:4-5 (ESV)

In Romans, Paul reminded me that we are ” individually members one of another.”  In 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 his teaching is consistent.

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.  1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV)

He goes on in 1 Corinthians 12:15-27 Paul elaborates on the fact that we each have our purpose and for the body to function we must each do our part.

Health of the Body

For the Body to flourish, it must be healthy.  This observation is where I came to an understanding about how no one knows for certain the health, spiritually or physically of any member of the body.  Sometime after God helped me realize that we all need prayer, he gave me another message to emphasize how little I could know about my brothers and sisters in Christ.   I had a stroke.

It was not what people think of when they think of stroke.  I was to bull headed to lay down, and it hit a part of the brain that did not affect the body the way most strokes you hear about in conversation.  To look at me, I looked normal.  I look like nothing is wrong at all.  If you see me in a restaurant without my cane, you would likely assume I was drunk…  My speech can become slurred and slow.  I can get lost searching for words.  If I walk, I might stagger a bit and possibly fall…  but I am not drunk.  These things people see are my new normal.  If I sit down and keep my mouth shut I look like everyone else.

Realization

What I realized when all this happened is that I have NO idea what any other person might be going through.  I cannot look at any person and know what they are fighting physically.  How could I possibly know what emotional and spiritual challenges they may be facing?

I realized someone I judge to have their act together needs prayer as much as someone that appears lost, and the tough thing is that I cannot be sure which is which.  I do not know what is in their heart.

Matthew 7:1

I always struggled with Matthew 7:1.  You know the verse.

 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. Matthew 7:1 (ESV)

It was also tough to understand 7:3

 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Matthew 7:3 (ESV)

Jesus explains how to handle sin Matthew 18:15-20. Paul does so in 1 Corinthians 5 and 2 Timothy 3.  Those are clear to me.  But the command of Christ not to judge was hard for me to grasp until the stroke.  I suddenly had a physical example of a spiritual issue.  I realized that people could not understand my physical condition until they removed their preconceptions of my behavior.  I looked like a drunk, so I must be drunk, and drunks are just not very good people.

New Understanding

What I realized is that I have to make judgments every day but to do so without some discernment and understanding how could I do so in Love.  I thought this morning of what Jesus said in Matthew 18:15.

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. Matthew 18:15 (ESV)

To follow that example I could not pass judgment without talking to my brother about how I felt.  Confront him with what I perceived to be a sin against me.  To discuss this one on one, and “If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” (vs. 15b).  But for me to grasp this connection I had to be on the receiving end of odd stares and such.

Conclusions

I know I started this trying to explain how important I feel it is to pray for all our brothers and sisters in Christ.  I pray that I have not made it too confusing with all this explanation.

Ultimately we need each other as we make this trip through the wilderness and we need each other’s prayers and encouragement.  I turn to Colossians 3:12-17

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV)

Prayer

Father strengthen me that I might not neglect to pray for all my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Help me not forget that I cannot always know what burdens they carry.

Father help me that I might be patient with each and if I have a problem or see something that concerns me give me the strength and compassion to go and discuss the issue with them that it may be resolved.

Help me Father that I might not Judge with my pride but do all things with love and discernment.  Help me to be quick to listen and slow to speak.  Help me to approach everyone with love and a willing heart.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen

 

 

Seek God With All My Heart

The Light of God’s Word

Every morning when I wake and clear the cobwebs from my head, and I start my prayer and study I never really know where I am going to start or where I might end.  Every morning there is a bit of anxiety that comes with this uncertainty.  I think more so since I have been posting to this blog. This morning the Holy Spirit reminded me that seeking Christ Jesus MUST be my priority.  Nothing else will fit together if that is not first.

Being Ready

After my morning prayers just thanking God for another morning the first place I went was ‘Utmost for His Highest’ by Oswald Chambers.  The opening paragraph hit me.

“A Christian worker’s greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at any and every turn. This is not easy, no matter what our experience has been. This battle is not against sin, difficulties, or circumstances, but against being so absorbed in our service to Jesus Christ that we are not ready to face Jesus Himself at every turn. The greatest need is not facing our beliefs or doctrines, or even facing the question of whether or not we are of any use to Him, but the need is to face Him.”

As I read this passage, I had to ask myself which one am I?  Am I so caught up in the work that I am not ready for Jesus? Or am I placing my focus on Jesus and letting the work unfold on its own.  It is so easy for me to question, am I doing enough or am I doing the right thing?  In fact, I should focus on Jesus and His return.

Luke 12:35-38

The referenced verse for the Chambers devotional was Luke 12:40 so I went there and read it.

40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Luke 12:40 (ESV)

That rekindled those questions and more prayer.  I went on to read Luke 12:35-38

 35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! Luke 12:35-38 (ESV)

These are such encouraging words.  All I could think of as I read them is my need to be always prepared for Jesus soon return.  To be prepared my lamp must be full and my wick trimmed, like the maidens at the wedding who did get let in.  I must be clothed and ready to go when He comes.  My source for all these things?  Being clothed in God’s Word.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

I thought and prayed about this passage, and I thought of the phrase “seeking God with all my heart.”  I knew there was a scripture, but I could not remember it, so I googled it, and the search took me to Jeremiah 29:11-14

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Jeremiah 29:11-14 (ESV)

When I look at this passage, I do not see a punch list of tasks but a need to call to the Lord and seek him with all my heart.  He has plans for me.  I do not need to hunt for them.  I do not need to fill my plate with tasks or goals; I need to fill my plate with seeking the Lord first.

Ephesians 2:4-10

I am reminded of a favorite passage in Ephesians.  This passage reminds me that  God’s plans are not a series of hoops to jump through.  A series of tasks that  I must complete begrudgingly, but a gift rich in grace and mercy.

Ephesians 2:4-10 (ESV) 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

He saved me when I was dead in my trespasses.  He loved me in spite of that, and He saved me by His grace through faith.  All of this was a gift; one I did not earn.  I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for works He has prepared for me. If I will seek Him first and listen to His voice, He will make the path clear for me.

Ephesians 2-3

I read the remainder of Ephesians 2 and down through Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Strength ending in verse 21.  God has revealed so much to us.  His love is just hard for me to get my head around some days.  Ephesians 3:14-21 fills me with joy and creates in me a hunger to grow closer to him.

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

I am so thankful for His Word and the gifts of prayer and repentance so that I might draw closer to Him.  His love for me is overpowering, and my hunger for knowing Him is more than I can explain.

Psalms 1:3

I thought of Psalm 1.  My friend and brother in Christ Lee taught on Psalm 1 last Saturday.  This morning I am moved by verse 3.

3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. Psalms 1:3 (ESV)

I pray that I might live my life like the Tree the Psalmist speaks of in this verse.  I pray that I might be nourished by God’s Word like the tree is nourished by the stream and I pray that my fruit might be pleasing to my Heavenly Father.

Closing Thoughts

I am so thankful for Gods discipline.  I am filled with joy that He will remind me of where my focus should be.   It is so easy for me to drift into a focus on the task and to complete it that I can lose sight of who directed me in the first place.

I thank God for opening my heart and mind that I might listen and obey and focus on His desires over my own.

Prayer

Father, thank you for all you do in my life and around me. Thank You for the correction when I need it and the Love you share when I do not deserve it.

Father, I pray for strength to be a strong tree planted in the water yielding good fruit in the tasks you have laid out for me.

Help me Father keep my focus on you and trust in you to lead me that I might follow in what you have chosen for me.

Help me to seek you first and trust in you for all the rest.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

 

 

Triumph in Christ

Triumph in the Light of the Son!

I think this morning I could go on and on about the Lord and the triumph that we have in Jesus Christ.    Pat is not feeling well, and that has concerned me and made it a bit tough to focus, but I have been praying for her while she is resting on the couch and looking at His Word in old Journal entries.

How wonderful is the truth in God’s Word?  What wonderful peace is found simply letting go and putting focus into seeking him. Pat encouraged me just to let her rest and focus on my normal routine, so that is what I have done.

I continue to pray for Pat this morning and also for guidance and focus; turning from worry to trust in Jesus.   I went through some old journal entries and stopped on one that I had done a year or so ago.

This entry was almost all in 2 Corinthians.  It covers chapters 2:15-5:9, but as I read I also thought of K-Love’s verses for today from Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV)

13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

What comfort there is in these words.  What peace I find in them.  In Christ are my peace and comfort.  In Him rests my hope.

2 Corinthians 2:15-3:3

Let me start with Chapter 2 verse 15 through Chapter 3 verse 3.  Paul defines who we are in Jesus, and it is great comfort this morning.

15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. 

Ministers of the New Covenant

​1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Self-Examination

I read this passage over and over again.  And I thought about it and meditated on it.  As I reflected on what Paul was saying and I thought;  is my life a letter from Christ written with the Spirit, for those who testified to me.  The ones who prayed for me and delivered the Gospel to me.  Do I show that I am “a letter of Christ” delivered them?  Am I sharing the message of Christ with others as they did for me in confident hope?

I continued with verses 4-6, and I remember that what Paul is saying has nothing to do with pride but with hope and love and confidence in Jesus.  Do I dare to be this bold?  Do I have that same confidence in Christ Jesus?

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

I know that I am not sufficient in myself.  I know that my strength comes from the Lord.  Paul is writing this to the entire Church at Corinth, not just the leaders; not just the “preachers,” but everyone.  As I reflect on this, I am convicted.

He goes on to discuss the Hope we have in Christ and the boldness we have because of that and the difference in who we are.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

I get caught up in thinking how much God has changed me from the inside out.  How He has begun this great work in Pat and me and the freedom it has brought.  My trust is in the Lord, and I am filled with thanksgiving.

And that sets up the “Therefore” in Chapter 4:1-6

The, “Therefore” –  2 Corinthians 4:1-6

1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

And my favorite part…

5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

That is my desire.  I do not want to be a preacher like Paul.  What I want is to carry in my heart the wonderful message Paul shares.  I want to carry the truth of Christ Jesus in my heart inside this fragile “Jar of Clay.”

To never forget the gifts given us regardless of our circumstances and remember the words of verse 7.

“7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

And Paul closes the chapter with these words that are my testimony.   They lift me up on the darkest days. 4:16-18

Fragile Jars of Clay

16So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

I cannot put into words what comfort this passage brings to me… other than to say how I know it’s truth is unwavering.  For every time I have a challenge God reminds me that it is fleeting.  That does not mean it does not hurt.  Sometimes the pain is intense;  it can be physical or emotional, but I am never alone.  God is there to see me through.  He uses the people around me, especially my wonderful wife, Pat.

The thing is, the Gospel of Jesus Christ fills us with a freedom that exists nowhere else.  I look at Paul’s example of humility, and I pray that when I share the Gospel with others, it may be in like spirit, filled with love and patience.  The Gospel is not a burden that we carry.  It is a gift that the Holy Spirit shares with us if we are willing and through us, He shares it with others.

Closing Thoughts

I will close with this last passage out of chapter 5 verses 6-10

 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

I give thanks to God for His Holy Word.  I praise Jesus for His willingness to pay my debt and the Holy Spirit to guide my heart.  What a plan God laid out for us.  How awesome is He?

Prayer

Heavenly Father thank you for your Holy Word and the comfort that comes with it in all circumstances.  Help me that I might share your Word with boldness and confidence, not in my strength, but in the strength, that you give through your Holy Spirit.  

Father, I pray for healing for my wife Pat and all those that are struggling with illness or loss.  I pray that you restore them and comfort them.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen

 

The Lord is my Oxygen

God’s Grace

This morning I woke a little later than usual but well rested.  As I prayed, I reflected on the weekend and the way the Lord works in my life.  The things he reveals and the joy that I find in His Word, and how much I need God’s Word…

I began this morning in Isaiah 55, but I scrolled back to chapter 51 and read from the first verse.  I stopped at verse 6

Isaiah 51:6

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;
but my salvation will be forever,
and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

As I read this verse, all I could think of was the mortality of the things of this world and how brief it is when I look to the promise of the Lord.  This world is fleeting, but the “my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will be forever.”

How powerful are these words?  I looked at the comparison and thought about where I spend most of my time.  I thought about where most of my thoughts are focused, and I was humbled.

As I weighed all these thoughts and words my heart ached.  I can get so caught up in the things of this world before long I have no time for God, who created it.  I get so BUSY that I miss the time to pray and study.  And if I do not keep my cup full how can I share what I do not have…  How can I live up to the task that the Lord asked of me?

Matthew 28:18-20

The passage that came to mind was the one called “The Great Commission”‘

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

How can I share the Gospel if my cup is empty?  I must keep my cup full if I am to share anything.  It is like the safety lecture on an airplane before take off.

The flight attendant gives the speech.  If we lose cabin pressure, the oxygen masks will fall in front of you.  Place the mask on yourself before you try to help others.

The thing is I am not much help if I pass out due to a lack of oxygen.  In the same way, I am not of much help if I choose to do things my way without the connection to the vine through God’s Word.

The Word

The Word of God is my lifeline.  I need it as much as I need air and water to live.

I used to ride my motorcycle year around and in the summer when it was really hot if I were not careful I would get dehydrated, and if that happened, I was in trouble.  At the very least I was going to have cramps…  not a Charlie Horse kind of cramp but cramps so bad that I could not move.

It did not take long to learn how to stay hydrated.  It took a mix of Gatorade and water to keep me from cramping.   Just like it takes prayer and study and hearing God’s Word to be spiritually hydrated.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20

God warned of it so many times in His word.  He cautioned us that we must stay connected to Him.  One of my favorites is Deuteronomy 17:18-20 when the Lord reminds the people of what their Kings must do.

“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.”

I read and reread that passage and consider how important it is.  I love this section of verse 20, ” that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment.”  As I read that I am reminded if I am to stay obedient to the Lord and not place myself above any of my brother and sisters in Christ I must be in God’s Word.  He told the kings of Israel to write it out.  I must stay in it.

B.U.S.Y.

I think of all the times I have skipped spending time with the Lord because I was too busy.  I think of all the times I had overbooked my schedule to the point that I excluded Him from my life, and that breaks my heart.

My wife Pat told me once about how busy was an acronym for “Being Under Satan’s Yoke.  She learned it from a lady in a Bible study.  The first time she told me that I got a bit of a shiver because it is so true.  If the adversary can keep us so focused on the world and it’s needed, we do not have time to spend with the Lord.  Before long the world is getting all our oxygen, and we are passed out in the seat next to it.

Blessings

I know that the Stroke has been a blessing to me.  I am limited in what I can do.  I have a terrible time with focus and attention.  I cannot multi-task anymore.  The best therapy for that is studying God’s Word.  It helps me focus and keeps me from losing any more focus.  I thought of Isaiah 55:10-11

Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV) 10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

And Isaiah 55:9

“9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

It fills my heart with Joy.  It reminds me to be content in my circumstances.

Caution

It is so easy when things get tough to try and fix things on our own.  To turn to self-doubt and fear which can lead away from our Father in heaven.  I have a choice to make every day. I can choose to focus on my way or God’s

I can allow my mind to become so cluttered with finding a solution to whatever problems the day might bring, or I can trust in the Lord and make time for Him.  If I try to do this on my own, it is too easy for me to overlook God’s outreached hand.  I can become so blinded that I do not notice His embrace.

That fills the adversary with joy.

Closing

My schedule is different now.  I have more time to study… but there always was time, and I often overlooked it.  As I reflect this morning on all that I read I am thankful.  Thankful for God’s abounding grace.   Thankful for His gift of repentance and thankful for His Holy Spirit in me that reminds me of my sins not to punish me but to give me the chance to give them to God and be forgiven.

If I do not make time for Him, it is too easy for me to forget and lose focus.

Prayer

Father thank you for your Holy Word.   I am thankful that I have a link to you that cannot be broken.  Father thank you for your patience with me and your grace.

Help me, Father, that I never forget all you have done.  Strengthen me that I always make time for you.  That I pray without ceasing and write your Holy Word on my heart.

In Jesus name, I pray!  Amen!

Passion

God’s Word

I listened to a sermon by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones from Acts 2 this morning.  I could hear the passion that he had for God’s Word as he delivered the message.  This passion brought the words to life.  As I sat listening I began to wonder when I read God’s Word, do I allow the Holy Spirit to fill my heart with the passion and conviction I here in this man’s voice.  Does my heart fill with the passion of the moment that is being described?

I heard somewhere a comment… “you are not engaged when you read the Bible unless you can feel God’s breath on the back of your neck.  As I thought about that, I considered Acts 2, and I went back and reread the section covered by Dr. Jones which was part of Peter’s sermon after Pentecost.

Before I began reading, I prayed that my head might be clear and my heart opens to God’s Word.  I asked the Holy Spirit for direction as I read Acts 2:14-41.

You know I always pray for God to open my heart before I begin my study.  I ask that He might open my heart and mind to receive what He desires me to learn, but this morning I realized that I do not always really let go of the reins.

Acts 2:40-41

Dr. Jones sermon focused on verses 40-41 in Acts 2.  I read those words over and over this morning…

40 And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Acts 2:40-41 (ESV)

As I read it I stumbled over the word exhort, so I looked it up to see if I understood the meaning correctly. Merriam-Webster had this to say about it.

Exhort: to give warnings or advice:  make urgent appeals

Continued to Exhort

With the word “exhort” in mind I went back and reread Acts 2:14-15

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. Acts 2:14 (ESV)

As I read these two verses, I heard Peters urgent appeals.  I heard not him, but the Holy Spirit as he told the crowd they were not drunk, but instead they were a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel as Peter recited in verses 17-21 the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32

28 “And it shall come to pass afterward,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

your old men shall dream dreams,

and your young men shall see visions.

29 Even on the male and female servants

in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.

30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Joel 2:28-32 (ESV)

Power of the Holy Spirit

Peter’s sermon reminded me of this great gift I have in the Holy Spirit to lift my heart and open my eyes that I can see the passion of God’s Word.  But He does not impose this on me I have to ask…  I must seek His council in prayer.  But if I do and I earnestly believe that He does answer my prayers He will reveal to me the things I seek and more.

Passion of Conviction

As I read the remainder of the sermon, the response of the crowd filled my heart with joy.  Peter preached the Gospel to these people.  He reminded them of the fact that they had a part in the killing of Jesus. He told them that death could not hold Him and he explained how Christ Jesus rose from the dead.

This message broke the hearts of the crowd.  The crowd cried out in verse 37.

 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37 (ESV)

Peter answered them.

The Promise

Acts 2:38-39 (ESV) 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

As I read this promise, I am overwhelmed because this promise was not a one-time thing.  It was a promise for time and memorial to ALL “whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”(verse 39b)

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Closing Thoughts

As I pondered all of this I kept hearing this verse in my head…  “do not quench the spirit.”  It stayed with me the whole time I read and journaled this morning.

I knew the verse, but I could not remember it so I did a search on Bible Gateway and I found it in 1 Thessalonians 5 near the end of the chapter in Paul’s ‘Final Instructions and Benediction’; verse 12-28

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 (ESV)

I read this closing of 1Thessalonians and was lifted up.  I found the passage about not quenching the Spirit in the middle.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (ESV)

For me, that word quench forced me to think about how I study and how I pray.  Do I allow the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts always or are there times when I do not listen, or I set my direction with little thought.

I have to admit that there are times when I do all three.  Listen… ignore…  and press my agenda.  And that breaks my heart.  I realize how much I need to repent.  Repent for those times when my passion takes control instead of surrendering to the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Father thank you for the promise you gave us all through Peter on Pentecost.   Thank you, Lord, for the gift of my helper and teacher, the Holy Spirit.

Forgive me Lord for those times when I do not listen and I take the lead rather than follow You.

Father thank you for this gift of repentance.  Help me never forget.  Help me that I might cling to you always and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit in your Word.   Let me always see the passion and fire you place there for me.

In Jesus name, I pray, Amen

 

Written Down for Our Instruction

Child of Light

Last night I attended my small group study of 1 Corinthians at

Ninevah Christian Church.  The study covered chapters 9:1-10:13 and the study had a profound impact on me, specifically 1 Corinthians 9:24 – 10:13 (ESV).  I learned new insights into the bit about examples and instruction.

What I learned last night gave me cause to reflect on how I was taking advantage of the examples laid out in the old testament, and whether I was running the race to win.

1 Corinthians 9:24 – 27

My preacher, Terry Cooper, leads the class and we covered most of chapter 9, and I was pretty comfortable with my understanding.  But when we got to verses 24-27 Terry brought out some points that gave me pause as I listened and reread the text.

 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

As I read this again this morning, I felt an urgency in Paul’s speech.  It was like a plea for me to listen carefully to what he was saying and this message.  It was no joke, but a matter of life and death.

1 Corinthians 9:27

Paul speaks of our need to run the race to win:  Discipline our bodies like an athlete does.  But as I read this I realized it is not just our physical bodies that we must discipline, but our spiritual body as well.

This morning I am looking back on the emphasis Terry put on verse 27 and even more than last night I am forced to do a little self-examination.

27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

If Paul kept this thought in the forefront of His mind shouldn’t I do the same?

Then Terry did something that I had not fully considered.  He tied to verse 27 the verses in chapter 10:1-13.

1 Corinthians 10:1-5

As Terry shared the message with us, I could not help but keep verse 9:27 in my head mulling it over as he spoke of verses in chapter 10:1-5

“1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”

As I listened to this and Terry’s passionate delivery and I kept thinking of how it relates to us.  Terry noted that five times “all”  was used and once “most” was used to describe the people.  This morning as I consider his emphasis I am reminded of Matthew 7:13-14

Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)

3 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” 

As I thought about this passage and how Jesus warns us to take care in our lives, I remembered, He was speaking to followers, and he was warning them that like the followers of Moses, not all would find the narrow path and the narrow gate.  Only a few.  So what do I need to do? What must I hold onto?

1 Corinthians 10:6-11

I looked closely at verses 6-10 and looked at the example that God had left for us to learn.

“6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”

I look at these verses, and I started thinking about the need to trust in God.  Hold fast to Him and heed His counsel.  I looked at verse 11 and found it to be very humbling for me.  These things that happened to the Israelites could happen to me, and I needed to take them seriously because God made certain that they were written down for me.

 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

Written Down

That is such a powerful statement.  When I think of all the times that Kings and rulers wrote something down, they could not change it.  If they took the trouble to write it down, it must stand.  I think of the book of Daniel, and when the Babylonian Kings wrote something down, they were going to follow through.  I think of furnaces and lion’s dens when I see the phrase “written down”  and how much more when the King of Kings and Lord of Lords takes the time to use the phrase…  If God is to write it down, I better pay attention.

Spiritual Arrogance

When we got near the end of the study last night, Terry spoke of spiritual arrogance and this morning I am doing a bit more self-examination.  Verses 12-13 should make me pause a bit and humble myself before God.

 “12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

That thought of “trusting God” came back again this morning as I read these.  The adversary would have me think that every struggle I face is unique and insurmountable…  but that is a lie!  Through Paul, God reminds us of the truth.  And if I am honest with myself the Holy Spirit always shows me a way to avoid the sin that follows a temptation.  Sometimes it is as simple as turning the other way.

New Realization

Last night one of the big realizations for me was Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 9:27

“27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

As we read this passage last night, I got a “Gibbs Slap” to the back of my head.  I thought of Moses at the waters of Meribah, Numbers chapter 20  where Moses struck the Rock in anger rather than glorify God as He had asked.  At that moment God told Him that he would not see the Holy Land of promise.

Then I realized the example Moses was to Paul… and to me.  Yes, Moses got his reward after his death, but because he sinned against God he did not step foot on the Holy Land of Promise, and that was sobering for me.

Closing Thoughts

As I think about all of these verses all I can think is “trust in God”.   God sets out all of His Word to guide us to assure us there is only one way to Him.  He asks us to believe and to trust in it all.

Paul reminds us that we are all susceptible to temptation.  That reminded me of the example of Moses who was favored by God.

God gives us His Word and the Holy Spirit to guide us through it.  How thankful I am for that.  There is no substitute for spending time with him in His Word.

One Last Thing

I read 'Utmost for His Highest', by Oswald Chambers this morning and he said something that for me fit with last night and the trust I must have in God…

“If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He doesn’t ask you to make it right; He only asks you to accept the light of truth, and then He will make it right. A child of the light will confess sin instantly and stand completely open before God. But a child of the darkness will say, “Oh, I can explain that.” When the light shines, and the Spirit brings conviction of sin, be a child of the light. Confess your wrongdoing, and God will deal with it. If, however, you try to vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.” ‘Utmost for His Highest’ March 23

Prayer

Father help me to be a child of light. Help me to hold fast to your teaching and trust in your faithfulness.
Thank you, Lord, for your Holy Word; the living water. My hope and My salvation.
In Jesus name, I pray, Amen

 

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