One Word

February 3, 2018

This morning I woke to some pretty cold temps outside. I am thankful for a warm home. After my prayers, I began reading Hebrews 3.

As I started into chapter 3, I was uplifted by the power of the first four verses. It is amazing how everytime I read God’s Word I see something new.

Hebrews 3:1-4 (ESV)

¹ Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, ² who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. ³ For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. ⁴ (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)

The writer speaks of the blessing of Moses and Jesus but sets the distinction between the two, setting Jesus above Moses. I know we know that as believers, but I imagine that for Hebrews who knew the law of Moses from a young age, it was more challenging to get their heads around it. But this morning that was not what caught my eye. What caught my eye began in verse 5?

Hebrews 3: 5-6

The part of the verse that caught my eye was one word. One simple word that forced me to reread verse 5 and 6 several times.

Hebrews 3:5-6 (ESV)

⁵ Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, ⁶ but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

It is a simple two letter word. There is nothing special about it by itself, but in this context, it is a powerful word that goes far beyond its humble station.

Did you guess the word I am talking about? It is used twice in verse 6, and that is where I took my u-turn to verse 5 and reread both verses several times. The word is “we.”

Why is it So Special?

I have understood for years that, as a believer, my body is the residence of Jesus. He is in my heart. He guides and directs me if I listen and obey, but this passage added something to this idea for me. The distinction between Moses and Jesus was made clear for the Hebrew audience. Moses was a faithful servant and Christ Jesus a Son.

Verse 5 describes Moses, “⁵ Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later…”

Jesus, on the other hand, was a Son and dwelled in the house. “…⁶ but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.”

It has always been God’s intent to dwell with Jesus and us did it with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit while Moses could only speak of the promises to come.

We are His house if we will hold fast to our hope in Jesus.

Reflections

For me, this simple passage reminds me of the consistency of God. His message never changes. He desires to reunite us with Him. It reminds me of the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50. I look at Joseph, and I see the story of salvation played out in his life. He was rejected and rebuked, and in the end, he saved his family, and they thrived.

In Hebrews God reminds us that we who believe are the house of God we are his temple and if we hold fast to our hope we will be reunited with God, just as He promised through Moses in the desert when he promised rest for the people of God. But in both cases, it requires a united faith in God and His promises. They are everywhere if we will look and they are not hard for those who believe.

6:39 AM

1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV)

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

1 Corinthians 6

1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV)

¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

2 Corinthians 6

2 Corinthians 6:16 (ESV)

¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

Reflections on the Letters to the Corinthians

All three of these passages remind us that we are the temple of God. We are not our own, but as a born-again believer, we belong to God. I like how in 2 Corinthians 6 Paul reminds us that this promise is the same promise that God gave in Leviticus when in verse 16 he quotes from Leviticus 26:12

Leviticus 26:12 (ESV)

¹² And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

It just reminds me of God’s faithfulness and His love for us; it spans the ages.

Ephesians 2

Then in the new covenant, the promises are united in the new covenant sanctified by Christ Jesus. I like the way that Paul says it in Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2:17-22 (ESV)

¹⁷ And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Through Jesus Christ, all who believe were united by one Spirit; both Jews and Gentiles.

Romans 6

In Romans 6 Paul reminds us all the wonder of this salvation is accomplished.

Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

We did not earn it. It was given to us as a gift, and regardless of what we might endure, it is priceless and cannot be compared to the wonder of the indwelling spirit.

Closing Thoughts

It is amazing to me how the Holy Spirit can take one word and make it stand out so much to us that we may wander around the Bible seeking to understand the passage that this simple word suddenly changed for us. Our God is an awesome God.

Prayer.

Father, thank you for opening my eyes to Your Word this morning. Thank you for bringing emphasis to this simple two-letter word that caused me to seek a better understanding. Father God I love you and praise you in the name of your blessed Son Jesus Christ, Amen!

Pay Close Attention

January 25, 2018

Approaching Clarity

Earlier this week I got together with some brothers and we began a study in Hebrews. The discussion covered chapter one and the first four verses of chapter 2. The discussion led to a realization that Salvation is a gift that we cannot do anything to get. God gives it to us freely, but we have some responsibility not to squander it or ignore it. We need to spend time with God in prayer and His Word.

I know I talk about this activity all the time, but it seems to be everywhere I turn in His Word. The other has to do with encouraging our brothers and sisters which reaffirms the need for us to meet.

This discussion has been bouncing around in my head all week, but the part that prompted me to write about it was a passage from 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-11

Chapter 5 in 1 Thessalonians is dealing with the day of the Lord. Paul speaks of how the Lord will come like a thief in the night, but it will not be that way for the brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-11 (ESV)

⁴ But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. ⁶ So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

I read that passage by Paul, and I see the need for all who believe in paying close attention to the world around us. We are not to be fearful, but aware and be sober-minded. Know God’s Word and grow your relationship with Him through prayer and study. That passage brought me back to Hebrews 2.

Hebrews 2:1-4

Paul spent chapter one defining who Jesus was and how important the gift of salvation was and then I had to read the first part of chapter 2.

Hebrews 2:1-4 (ESV)

¹ Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ² For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, ⁴ while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

“We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” And where do we hear that today? We hear the Word of God; the Holy Bible. And it is not enough to simply give it a passing thought, “we must pay much closer attention.”

Reflections

As I considered just these two passages, my heart was flooded, especially this morning, with more passages and thoughts of how important this all is in knowing God. My next thought was someone would ask, “How can you say we need to spend time with God in the Bible” and I went to Hebrews 1

Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV)

¹ Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ^two but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

Then John 1

John 1:1-5 (ESV)

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

So, I look at these three passages and what I draw from them is the need to spend time in the Word to communicate with God and grow closer to Him and know Him better.

The other thing that Paul tells us is to test everything, and the only benchmark that I have is God’s Word. It is the only place of absolute truth and inerrancy.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 (ESV)

²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good.

Encourage One Another

There was another piece to this morning’s prayer and study, and it dealt with encouragement. I read several passages: Philippians 3:17-21, Jeremiah 29:11-13, and 2 Peter 1:3-4. All of these dealt with encouragement. Then I read 2 Peter 1:5-11 one of my favorites.

2 Peter 1:5-11 (ESV)

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

When I read this passage and the list of attributes we are to build on and share I see only one way to get the correct specification to begin construction, and that is in God’s Word. I know I could cobble something together based on my own understanding, but God has warned me of the folly of that path in Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Closing Thoughts

You know there are days that I do not want to study. My head is a cloud of mush. I cannot focus, and I can make no sense of anything I read, but I pray, and I ask for guidance to understand, and I may not be able to put two sentences together to write anything, but God gives me What I need for that day.

The days when I am just not up to it, in my mind, I never seem to pull out. Those days just stay cloudy until I surrender. Pride usually is in the mix somewhere. Once rid of that the clouds begin to lift.

So, I cannot say I am in the Word as much as I should be, but I can with all certainty say that when I am in the Word of God, the days are better and the hunger for the word grows like an addiction. I need it as much as air and desire it as much as my favorite food.

Prayer

Father, I just give you thanks for today. I pray that this hunger for your Word and the desire I must share my experience will never fade. Lord, I love you and give you thanks for pulling me from the darkness. I pray you may use me to do the same for others. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

Following My Headlight Around

January 23, 2018

I am not sure where this is going to go today. If this were back in my Biker days, I would suggest that I am going to follow my headlight around for a while and see where it takes me. This past week has been kind of jumbled like a ride down an old twisty road. There have been a few straight stretches where I could open it up a bit, but mostly a lot of twists and turns on a shade-filled lane.

Don’t get me wrong this is not a bad thing. It is just different. Sometimes there was a lot of uncertainty about what was around the next turn, but through it all, I still had the light… the light of God’s Word. Despite the distractions of these twisty lanes, I could always count on His Word.

The Starting Point

The starting point for me was a couple of weeks ago when first Pat, my wife, got sick with a stomach virus and then me. It was just enough that we missed two weeks of Church. Now I do not know about you, but I really do need my church family every week at the very least. The more, the better.

I do understand that not all can attend a church due to health issues. That makes perfect sense to me, and I have family and friends that fall into that bucket, but I do not understand folks that say they have no place for organized religion, or structured churches. Sometimes it is not what you get from Church but what you give. I go to worship and to learn and to have fellowship with others. It lifts me up, and I try to share the joy it gives me with others. God had a reason for Hebrews 10:23-25.

Hebrews 10:23-25 (ESV)

²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

When I get into a position that I cannot meet with fellow believers, it does negatively impact me. I miss everything about it. It is not perfect, but neither am I. It is my wellness checkup. It is part of my assurance of faith, and it is my opportunity to share with others. That I may see no other time during the week.

The Full Assurance of Faith

The heading for Hebrews 10:19-39 is the “The Full Assurance of Faith” in my ESV translation. Chapter 10 opens with the writer explaining Jesus sacrifice once and for all through verse 18 then you get the “Therefore” in verse 19, and for me, that passage through verse 25 is so powerful.

Hebrews 10:19-25 (ESV)

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

I read that passage, and I am humbled by the price Jesus paid for me… for all of us. It is beyond words for me. I am filled with thanksgiving.

The Light

I read verses 19-25, again and again, this morning. As I read this passage over and over, I saw a distinct break. The gift and the response. The gift, or light, in the passage for me came in verses 19-22

Hebrews 10:19-22 (ESV)

That “Therefore” spells it out. Since Jesus did all these things for us including cleansing us from all evil we need to do something with it within the body of the Church.

The Response

As believers forgiven by the blood of Jesus, we need to hold fast to our hope and encourage each other. Verses 23-24 to me are just as important. God knows us and knows our needs. He knows our memories are short and He never intended for us to walk this path alone. Just reading these words remind me of how wise God is.

Hebrews 10:23-24 (ESV)

²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

He reminds us to hold on, but also to, “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” The question that comes to my mind instantly is answered in verse 25.

Hebrews 10:25 (ESV)

²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Armor

Now meeting together is not the only thing that we need. In fact, if that is all you do is go to church on Sunday that is less effective than the current flu vaccine. That is only a portion of what we need to grow and protect ourselves against the onslaught of the adversary.

Just look at Ephesians 6:12-18

Ephesians 6:12-18 (ESV)

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

You need to put that Armor on every day. Your body needs more than one meal a week to sustain it. So, does your spirit. To count on Sunday morning as sufficient to keep you going spiritually is like taking one glass of water and assuming that is sufficient for the week.

Closing Thoughts

Well, I started this telling you I was going to follow my headlight around a bit this morning. I guess that is true because this final turn even surprised me a bit. I looked back at the passages that God had laid on my heart and the need we have for His Word and each other, and I got thinking about how our actions also impact each other, good or bad. That lead me to Deuteronomy 17:14-20. The heading for that section in my ESV translation is “Laws Concerning Israel’s Kings.” It always struck me that God wanted to be the King of Israel. But in Deuteronomy, He knew that they would cry for a king like all other nations, and He would grant their wish.

As I read verses 14-20, I saw the king that God spoke of rising in me on occasion. I only have one wife, and Pat and I both pursue Jesus, but I can see the importance of this warning. God knows the temptations of this world. He also speaks of wealth and gold and warns against acquiring too much. But the safeguard against all of these is spelled out in verses 18-20.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 (ESV)

¹⁸ “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.

We have God’s Word and the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Word and intercede in our prayers. Now we are not kings, but like kings our actions impact others. God knows us so well, and He gave us all this to bring us closer to Him. These things were written to teach us that we might avoid the pitfalls of those who came before. But we cannot do that if we do not act on His counsel and seek to know Him through His Word and in prayer.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the morning. Thank you for your guiding light through Your Word. Father, let me not forget that this trip is not one that I can run alone, and I cannot do without immersing myself in prayerful study of your Word and openly sharing it with others. I thank You for all Your Provision Lord in Jesus name, Amen

Wisdom and Water

January 17, 2018

Sometimes I think that the path I am on as I study in the morning is something different and new, but more often than not God shows me things that I have seen before only with a twist. Today it was wisdom and water. It began with two devotionals and a few passages here and there in the Word of God.

The devotionals? Timothy Keller’s “God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life,” Jonathan Cahn’s “The Book of Mysteries.” Finally, Oswald Chambers, “Utmost for His Highest.”

These three spoke of wisdom and living water and service to the Lord. None of the three pursued out of some sort of compulsion by a third party but all pursued out of love for God and a desire to draw closer to Him.

Proverbs 2:3-6

In Keller’s devotional he asks the question about whether we become wise and he bases the answer on the passage Proverbs 2:3-6.

Proverbs 2:3-6 (ESV)

³ yes, if you call out for insight

and raise your voice for understanding,

⁴ if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

He reminded me that if I truly desire wisdom, I must first seek God. He is the source of all wisdom, but God is not so far that I cannot reach Him. He is near. I have but to pray and ask for His guidance and understanding in His Holy Word and He will show me what I need in His Word every time I open it.

If I truly say that I love Him how can I not seek Him in His Word?

Feast of Tabernacles

Jonathan Cahn’s devotional that I read today spoke of the “Wells of Yeshua.” In his devotional, Cahn spoke of living water. He spoke of our need for that water; our spirits need for that water. We need this living water for our spirit as much, or more than our bodies need water to sustain life; one sustains the temporal, the other the eternal. Cahn refers to two passages. The first is in Isaiah.

Isaiah 11:1-3

Isaiah speaks of the fact the Lord is our strength. I love this passage.

Isaiah 12:1-3 (ESV)

¹ You will say in that day:

“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,

for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,

that you might comfort me.

² “Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the Lord God is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation.”

³ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Jonathan Cahn explains that the word salvation mentioned in the third verse translated from the original Hebrew is Yeshua, (Jesus).

When I think of that, I think of the Samaritan woman at the well when Jesus spoke to her.

John 4:10 (ESV)

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

I love that exchange Jesus has with her at that well. Jonathan Chan, in his book, refers to John 7

John7:37-39

Cahn spoke of Jesus promise of the coming of the indwelling Spirit to any who would believe in Him and if they did out of them would flow rivers of living water.

John 7:37-39 (ESV)

³⁷ On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹ Now, this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified.

This promise is so powerful. We have the indwelling Spirit of Jesus and His Holy Word, and He will fill us with Wisdom by guiding us through the Word and filling us with understanding. I like what James has to say about wisdom too.

James 3

Before I came to the Lord I never really thought much about wisdom. I didn’t really understand it. I just pushed through life to be the best at whatever I was doing, and there was an unhealthy dose of pride and a bit of arrogance to go with it that kept me moving forward. But wisdom is something much different and its origin is much different.

James 3:13-18 (ESV) Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The thing about wisdom is that it brings with it sincerity, peace, and contentment because it comes from God. It does not come from man. The more I read this passage, the more I am thankful for God’s patience with me.

Service

As I pondered these two devotionals and the Bible passages I also read I was prompted to read “Utmost for His Highest” for today also. Today’s devotional was about service. Oswald Chambers speaks of service and God’s call. He explains that it comes when we are in a right relationship with God. It is not the kind of service where you must be doing something; it is not a job. It is different. I like how Chambers explains it.

“Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.” Oswald Chamber “Utmost for His Highest” Jan 17

So, we gain this wisdom and draw closer and closer to God, and He calls us to serve in this powerful way. What a glorious gift this is. What joy there is in our King! But how do we grow close?

Reflections

I grew up going to Church with my parents every Sunday until I was 15 and then I got a job, and I missed a lot of Church, but even when I went the best I got was a brain that understood God. I was right there with the demons James spoke of in chapter 2 verse 19.

James 2:19 (ESV)

¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Then things changed when I was born again. It changed when I developed a thirst and hunger for God’s Word. This living water that nourishes my spirit. I found that prayer was not a parachute but the plane, fuel, and pilot. God was not my co-pilot, He was the Pilot, and I held fast to Him through His Word and prayer.

Closing Thoughts

For me so often my prayers are where I pose my questions and His word is where I find my answers. Of course, He can use any way he chooses, but if God chooses any other way I must test it against the scriptures to assure I am not deceived not because I do not trust God but because He told me to test everything.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 (ESV)

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good.

1 John 4:1 (ESV)

¹ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The only way that I can do this is to be in God’s Word, and it is not enough to simply read it like a textbook or listen to it like a radio broadcast. We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand it, and the best approach is to pray first and then study. The goal of the adversary is to keep us out of the Bible by keeping us busy or distracted because he knows the power of God’s Word to strengthen us.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (ESV)

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, ⁷ for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

But you cannot just pick that strength up without exercise, and that exercise requires prayer and study in God’s Word.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the wisdom you shared with me today. I am so blessed to have heard it. Father thank you for Your Holy Word and the gift of prayer that I might continue to grow closer to You and know You better, so that my strength and service may both grow. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

Proverbial Ramblings

January 10, 2018

There has been a gap in my writing and posting in the past week. I had a posting written on the January 5^th, but It just did not fit, and clearly, God felt the same way about it because every time I thought of publishing it something prevented it from happening. That and Pat getting sick Sunday morning got me out of the rhythm. But this morning was more back to normal. My wife Pat is better, and my focus is better.

Head of Trail

The past few weeks during the cold snap, (anything for me below 20º is a cold snap), I have been listening to YouTube videos with quite a bit of open-air preaching. Other teachings came from some of my favorite preachers, and the thing that has been nagging at me has been the response by “Christians” to the open-air preachers. The responses are heartbreaking.

These guys are not threatening their audience; they are preaching the Gospel. They preach the absolute authority of the Bible. They preach;

John 14:6 (ESV)

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

But the reaction of the “Christians” just messes me up. They talk about “their god” is not that way. They claim that there is more than one way to heaven. They claim to be “good” people… at least better than most.

As I listened to these videos, all I could think of is Biblical Illiteracy.

Biblical Illiteracy

As I listened to the responses, I was humbled by the lack of understanding people had for the Word of God. Then I looked back on my 52 years preceding my rebirth, and I was in that same boat. I had been confronted by the same folks, (not on camera), telling me the same things and I responded the same way with maybe a bit more attitude. I was so sure of myself. I didn’t need a preacher to tell me about anything. I knew what I needed to know about God. I prayed when I was in enough trouble and the rest I handled on my own: at least that is what I told myself.

But that all changed, and I thank God for it every day. He drew me in, and the old man died, and the new man was born again in Christ Jesus and to say I am thankful is an immeasurable understatement. But because of the work, the Holy Spirit does in me He revealed a piece of the puzzle I have been struggling with in Proverbs.

Proverbs 1:22 with the Help of Timothy Keller

I had gotten behind on reading my Keller devotional “God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life.” But I am thankful for that because I may not have put the 8-10th together had I read them every day, and I think this is something God wanted me to see all together. These three days covered Proverbs 1:22

Proverbs 1:22 (ESV)

²² “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

Keller provided the Hebrew word for the fools mentioned in verse 22 and explained them each. And as I read each day all three were far too familiar, but for me to face them honestly was important for me.

The Mocker or Scoffer

Keller explains in the January 8 devotional that foolishness is not a mental disorder but a function of attitude. The goal of the mocker or scoffer is to debunk everything. At their core is pride. Keller called it High Pride. He also pointed out that often these folks are seen to be wise in the eyes of the world while being foolish in God’s eyes. We are not wise when we take things down. We are cynical and hanging around with people like that can harden us and close our minds to seeing the good in anything.

I was so there for so long. I had such a sharp tongue and could be so cynical. But until Christ Jesus entered my heart I did not see it. I was blind to the pride that drove the cynic in me. Now I look back, and I see that the negative attributes are easy to pick out of things. If you are wrong nobody is angry. In fact, often they are glad you pointed out something that could be a problem. But after a while, that becomes all you see, and when Christ Jesus opens your eyes, there is so much more to see.

The Mocker and the Word

The frightening thing about who I was when I fit so nicely in the place of the Mocker or Scoffer was that I did not think I needed the Word. I knew enough to get by. I had gone to church, and I knew who God was. I was the guy James spoke to in his letter.

James 2:19 (ESV)

19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

The only thing is that I was not smart enough to shudder. I was filled with pride that I did not even understand because I had spent no time in the Word.

Had I been in the Word I would have known how futile pride is. I would have known Proverbs 8

Proverbs 8:13 (ESV)

¹³ The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.

Pride and arrogance and the way of evil

and perverted speech I hate.

But those things eluded me because I knew God and had no time for His Word. He was my emergency device, not my Lord. He was there to get me out of a tight spot.

The Gullible Fool

The Fool the Keller covered on the 9th was the gullible fool. The Hebrew word meant Simple or Gullible. If you are this kind of fool, you believe anything. I never really thought of myself as gullible, but you know as I thought about it this morning there were times when I experimented with religions. Sort of like Paul said in Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:14 (ESV)

¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

My parents will attest to that. In my youth I was crazy, and I did get wrapped up in some crazy religions. But until I thought about it this morning I had not considered having a weakness here in being simple or gullible, but I did.

The Obstinate

The main Hebrew word used for fools in proverbs according to Keller means to be obstinate. This fool was unable to gain sufficient knowledge to be corrected because he was wise in his own eyes. He isn’t open to new ideas. I cannot help but see pride at work here too. A closed mind is so easy to lock down. We get so busy in a discussion (or argument) planning what to say next we do not hear the other persons response. We hear only enough to jumble it up to match our preconception.

This was hard for me. I would argue to win in any situation. Now I realize that nobody wins in those situations… nobody. The only difference between that kind of a debate and a fist fight is that there are no visible cuts or bruises.

Our example is Christ Jesus. We stand on the Word of God and let the Holy Spirit guide us in love. I like what Paul told the Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV)

¹ I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Closing Thoughts

As I reflect on all of this that I studied and read this morning, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for God’s Word and His Holy Spirit that guides me to a better understanding of His Word. I know that without daily study and prayer it would be like going without food or water. How do I know? January 7 in Keller’s book covered Proverbs 1:22 as well, but I had read it Saturday and forgot that quickly.

I must be in prayer and the Word every day as much as I must drink water every day.

Prayer

Father, I pray that I will stay focused on Your Word and Prayer. I pray that you will strengthen me that I do not fall into distractions of this world and return to my old ways but hold fast to you in all that I do. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!

Encourage a Preacher of the Word

January 3, 2018

In the past few days, I have been pondering all the places that I come to know and grow closer to God. Of course, it begins with prayer and study of His Word. But there are other places as well. One is my preacher, another devotionals and commentaries, and more prayer. Today I wanted to mention the preacher of the Word.

I have wrestled with this topic for a couple of days now (maybe three), but it is very important to me. I love the men that preach at my church. They all strive to be godly men, and their focus is to preach God’s Word.

As I think of these guys, I realize it is a very easy thing to put them as the head of the church rather than Christ Jesus and not even realize it our Preachers need our encouragement, but not our worship.

1 Corinthians 2

There are at least a couple letters where Paul talks about His preaching and his example of humility and an explanation of sorts of how he preaches.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (ESV)

¹ And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. ² For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, ⁴ and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Now I am not proclaiming that my preachers are Paul, but they do not use fancy words or express words of human wisdom. Their sermons and teachings come from God’s Word guided by the Holy Spirit. When you consider the audience that meets every Sunday, how could it be anything else? The congregation is such a mix of people from first-time visitors to seasoned followers, and our preacher must walk a fine line to keep everyone engaged.

1 Corinthians 1

I looked back to chapter one in the book and beginning in the chapter and saw one thing that is dangerous with a great preacher. It is when people start following the Preacher more than the word.

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (ESV)

10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

This passage is a pretty profound caution in my mind. Paul is telling us not to get wrapped up in the messenger but the message. I love verse 17 of this warning. “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” Just let that soak in for a moment. I can think of half-dozen TV preachers where the cross seems to have been emptied because it is more about the preacher than Jesus. Paul never claimed any authority. He remained humble in all his dealings.

1 Corinthians 4

I like how Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 4:1-7

1 Corinthians 4:1-7 (ESV)

¹ This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. ³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. ⁴ For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵ Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

⁶ I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. ⁷ For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

Paul speaks of their role as “servants of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God.” Then he speaks of judgment by men and God and how he has applied these things to both himself and Apollos for the Corinthians benefit, “that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.”

Paul reminds us all that all that we have we received and nothing we have is worthy of boasting about.

Reflections

I read all this and thought and prayed over what I had read. I also read a good part of Philippians two through four which speaks to me the example of Christ Jesus humility and Paul’s humility as examples for us to follow. As I pondered all this, I could not help but consider how much pressure the adversary must apply to my preachers to puff up his ego and at the same time knock him around for not reaching everyone in the congregation.

I had to stop and pray a prayer of thanks to God for my preachers. A prayer that the Lord be with them to stay in the Word and remain humble “not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. ” (1Cor4:6b)

Closing Thoughts

I love my preachers, and I am thankful that every Sunday through them the Holy Spirit reveals something new to me. I am thankful that these men are willing servants who trust in the Holy Spirit and the Word of God as the only source of truth. I am thankful that they do not want blind followers that can only manage one meal a week but push us each Sunday to study and to test everything that they teach against the scriptures. I am thankful that they have no desire to boast in anything but Christ Jesus, “so that our faith may not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”(1 Cor 2:5)

Prayer

Father, thank you for your bride the Church. Thank you, Lord, for the Preachers you have placed in positions of authority, in my home Church. Lord, I know that they, like all of us, are fallible men, but I know that they seek after you and trust in you and your Holy Word. I pray that you will bless them with humility and courage to lead our church and bless them with a heart for your Word and Prayer every day. Lord, I thank you in Jesus name, Amen!

Slow to Speak

December 28, 2017

Morning Light

Have you ever read something that someone posted on the web, maybe Facebook or Twitter, and known that they were wrong and just generated this long response explaining how they were wrong and here is why? Probably none of you have done that, but this morning I came SOOO close.

I read a post, and I read some replies, and both the post and all the replies were in alignment with what I thought to be true. Then came that one guy and he disagreed.

First Reaction

The discussion was a Biblical, and it was on Facebook, and my first reaction was, that this joker was wrong. He did not have his facts straight. So, without praying or doing any study to confirm my opinion, I simply let my fingers do the walking across the keyboard. But as I typed this dissertation at about line 15 my fingers started to slow. My mind also shifted, and I found myself praying about this issue.

It was not a long prayer, but the Holy Spirit jabbed me in the rib cage with his pruning knife and reminded me how I am always saying, “test everything against God’s Word.”

Yes, it is humbling when the Holy Spirit reminds me using words that He had imprinted on my heart to get my attention.

Testing All Things Against God’s Word.

In the prayers that followed was repentance and thanksgiving and praise, as well as a request for help on the best way to proceed with this topic and the Lord, was gracious and set me on a path. I opened a digital Bible and did a Word Search that yielded several passages. I looked at Strongs and got a definition of the word that was being discussed in the phrase.

Result

As it turned out I was wrong. The topic we were discussing and the word that came up was being used incorrectly. Now neither the topic or the word is important to this discussion, but what is important is that God chooses his words carefully. As I researched this topic, I found that the one word had a very specific use and all the other things that I had tried to lump in with it were handled individually throughout the scriptures.

Observation

Now had I published my initial response would it have been salvation threatening. I do not think so, but Only God would know for sure. The one thing I do know is that He got my attention and stopped me. Had I not been listening or if I had allowed my worldly passions to control my heart, I would have published the reply and provided misleading information. But thankfully I felt the Holy Spirit poking me to get my attention. Once I stopped to listen He guided me through the Word to find the answer I had overlooked.

Closing Thought

The one glaring scripture that nagged at me as I did the research and put together the reply with the Holy Spirits help was in James. I had been so eager to speak out that my ears had closed, and my mouth was in control. But this scripture nagged at me, and I could not remember where it was, so I did another search.

James 1:19 (ESV)

¹⁹ Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

I was so sure that I wanted to spit out the info I KNEW was right, but I would have been challenged by someone that took the time to listen to this passage and I well could have succumb to anger, and there is no value in that.

As believers that trust in God, we are so blessed to have the Word of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I am thankful that every day my hearing and control of my tongue improves. Sometimes it is like walking up a snowy hill, and I slip and slide a bit, but the Lord has my back.

Prayer

Father, thank you for all your provision. Thank you for always helping me focus on moving forward toward the prize. What an awesome God you are, and I am thankful beyond measure. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen!

God Is Faithful and True

December 27, 2017

Nothing Can Stop the Light

I do not know about you, but as for me I have smooth easy-going days that flow along like a lazy river, but like that river ever so often I hit a rough patch. It may be a submerged rock that jars that boat or some rough water that will seemingly set my head spinning and heart beating. When those rough waters come I am left with two choices; trust God or trust man.

In the past, I would use brute force and ugliness to overcome any obstacle. Sometimes that was a bloody mess and when it was over everyone involved was glad to have survived. But when I came to the Lord I came to realize that method did not always solve the problem, it simply changed it a little bit and set the field for another battle. This morning I was reminded in Psalms 40 that brute force and ugliness is not a solution but a prideful reaction. The solution is to call on the Lord and wait, as He is my help and deliverer.

Psalms 40:16-17

Today was a long morning of prayer. I had a lot of issues I was struggling with. They were all over the map, and I just prayed. Somewhere in this process, I stopped to read the K-Love verse of the day. The verse was Psalm 40:16-17

Psalms 40:16-17 (ESV)

¹⁶ But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation

say continually, “Great is the LORD!”

¹⁷ As for me, I am poor and needy,

but the Lord takes thought for me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

do not delay, O my God!

I read this verse, and it rekindled my prayers. I looked at that passage, and I just prayed about it. Prayed for those I knew were struggling prayed for those that are in pain and for those that just seem to be isolated and not sure where to turn. I prayed that in their circumstances they might be seeking the Lord.

Meditation

I think most of us at one time or another find ourselves in those tough spots. Maybe it is a health issue or maybe a financial issue that sets our mind to worry. There are also those times when seeing circumstances for friends or family changing and We feel there is nothing we can do. All we know for sure is that we do not want that change for them. But during these trials, there is only one source of strength and only one hope, and He is faithful.

I applied these two verses to my prayer, and as it calmed my spirit, I found that I had to read the rest of this Psalm. So, I went to the beginning.

My Help and My Deliverer

I did not initially read the title when I read the last two verses. I just went straight to them, but once I read the title, it made sense to me- “My Help and My Deliverer.” Of course, He is El Shaddai – “God Almighty” who has power over all things. I read the Psalm and prayed as I read and gave thanks for Him hearing my prayers and for the comfort that came with His Word. There is a comfort that comes to me when I let go and surrender my concerns to Him.

Psalms 40:1-2

I read verses 1, and 2 and my eyes opened a bit (actually it was my ears.)

Psalms 40:1-2 (ESV)

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.

² He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

I was so busy talking that I had not been listening; I had not been waiting patiently this morning. If I had, I would have realized in all this He had heard my cry from the start. But it was not until I started reading from the beginning of Psalm 40 that my brain realized what my heart already knew. He drew me out of this miry bog of my own creating and set me on firm ground to make my steps secure. It humbled me and softened my heart so that I might hear the rest that He had for me this morning.

Psalms 40:3

Verse 3 was further confirmation because as I read it, I was lifted up with the joy that comes from listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Psalms 40:3 (ESV)

³ He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

and put their trust in the LORD.

He put this new song of praise in my heart and filled me with this joy and desire to put all this down in this blog today. That God is our strength and mighty refuge and that there is nothing he cannot do if we will call on Him and place our trust in Him. He is faithful. But it did not stop there for me. Verse 4 added to my strength and confidence in the Lord.

Psalm 40:4-5

I read the next two verses and just meditated on them a while and prayed.

Psalms 40:4-5 (ESV)

⁴ Blessed is the man who makes

the LORD his trust,

who does not turn to the proud,

to those who go astray after a lie!

⁵ You have multiplied, O LORD my God,

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;

none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are more than can be told.

When I read these two verses, they are so true. The more I place my trust in God and let go of my pride the more I realize the blessing of God. I want to proclaim it to the world, but there is truly more than can be told. But at the same time, I know that the Holy Spirit will give me the words I need when I need them.

Reflections

These first six verses just helped me get my mind in alignment with God. They calmed my spirit and the Holy Spirit used them to help me focus my prayers and unjumble my mess. God does not want to leave us twisting in the wind or flailing about over stuff. He is always there to help us in our trials if we will turn to him rather than rely on our own resources… our own pride. It makes no room for God. Psalm 10 kind puts it in perspective kind of bluntly.

Psalms 10:4 (ESV)

⁴ In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;

all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

Honestly, I did not want to use this verse, but there it was, and the more I read it, the more I did not want to use it. Why? Because I could not admit that when I turned to my prideful efforts and did not seek God in my trials, I was, in effect being wicked and in my heart saying there was no God.

That was NEVER what I intended in those times, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how my actions impact God.

Another Angle on Psalm 10:4

The Holy Spirit touched my heart with this verse like a piercing knife. I kept telling myself that God could not believe that I felt this way when I took things into my own hands and did not bring them to Him first. But then the Holy Spirit made it real for me. He reminded me of those times when I hurt my wife Pat’s feeling by deciding or plan without discussing it with her. Even at those times, I did not grasp it, but I did this morning.

Yes, she would get angry when those times occurred, but until this morning I do not think I saw the hurt that caused the anger. If at the time I did, it is much clearer this morning. I realized the times when things were reversed as well. But what hit me was that we both have a stake in this relationship. We should not act without first consulting each other. But God has a stake too. Pat and I are part of a three-strand cord and as such our strength is in our union.

Together we take everything to God. He is our King. There is no other. So, when I look at that verse in Psalms, as harsh and direct as it might be, and as much as it may not be my intention, when I stand on my pride and refuse to turn to God I am in affect saying there is no God. That breaks my heart to think I have done that to Him.

Psalm 40:6

I prayed and meditated on Psalm 10 and Psalm 40:4-5 for a long time before moving to verse six. It is a wonderful passage. It reminds me of a passage in Psalm 51.

Psalms 40:6 (ESV)

⁶ In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,

but you have given me an open ear.

Burnt offering and sin offering

you have not required.

In all this, David came to God in humble prayer with a contrite heart. The Lord did not require offering. He listened to David prayer. David humbled himself from the beginning. That reminds me of a passage in Psalm 51 as well.

Psalm 51:16-17

Psalm 51 is another Psalm of David, but this is a cry for forgiveness that came after Nathan prophet went to him after he had been with Bathsheba. He cried for mercy and forgiveness.

In the verses 16 and 17, he talked about sacrifice in the same way as he did in 40 but added a piece at the end that touches my heart.

Psalms 51:16-17 (ESV)

¹⁶ For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;

you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

God’s desire is a broken spirit and contrite heart that turns to him free from pride. One that desires only God and His forgiveness. True repentance a heart of flesh.

Psalms 40:9-10

After those thoughts, I went back to Psalm and read 9-10

Psalms 40:9-10 (ESV)

⁹ I have told the glad news of deliverance

in the great congregation;

behold, I have not restrained my lips,

as you know, O LORD.

¹⁰ I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;

I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness

from the great congregation.

As I read these two verses, I thought to myself, “how can anyone be silent when the Holy Spirit fills my heart with the good news of God’s Word.” I must let it out just like this morning. It is too powerful to contain. The last passage of Psalm 40 reaffirms its truth.

Psalms 40:16-17

Psalms 40:16-17 (ESV)

¹⁶ But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation

say continually, “Great is the LORD!”

¹⁷ As for me, I am poor and needy,

but the Lord takes thought for me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

do not delay, O my God!

No matter what we think we have in this world, we have NOTHING without God. He is our hope and salvation and our Deliverer.

Closing Thoughts

I get overwhelmed by God’s Word and the wisdom He shares in it. So often I try to complicate things or leave Him out completely, but the truth is that EL SHADDAI “God Almighty” is sovereign over all things, and I do not have to understand I have to trust in Him. God explains it in Isaiah 55

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God has more than earned our trust. Are we willing to demonstrate obedience and surrender our pride? Will we do as Jesus asked of us?

Luke 9:23 (ESV)

²³ And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Thank you, Lord, for my nourishment today.

Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV)

man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Prayer

Father, forgive me for those moments when I ignore you and go my way. Lord I never really considered how heartless those actions were. Father, I love you and praise you and thank you for your grace and mercy in Jesus name, Amen.

Jesus – Truth and Light

December 22, 2017

Darkness Cannot Overcome the Light

As I began to pray this morning, I was overwhelmed by the incarnation of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God among us. I could hardly focus on my prayers for the distraction of John 1 and the Genesis 1:1-3. It just filled me with joy as I considered all Jesus had done to fulfill the plan of God.

This time of year, it is easy to think of the birth of Jesus. I know I will read Luke 2 Sunday night before dinner at my Mom’s house, but the sheer wonder of what Jesus did; His love and commitment and His obedience I see in John 1. It could only be perfect obedience, and beyond anything a son of Adam would be capable of doing.

Genesis 1:1-3

Think about it for just a moment. Genesis 1:1-3 describes what it was like in the beginning.

Genesis 1:1-3 (ESV)

¹ In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

When I read these three verses, I think of John 1. I cannot read one without being reminded of the other.

John 1:1-3

The Gospel of John is my favorite. When I read it, I see the heart of Jesus? I cannot explain it. There is just something that kindles the fire in my heart when I read and study John.

Chapter one just sets the stage for me.

The first three verses humble me because John reminds me who Jesus is.

John 1:1-3 (ESV)

John reminds me who this man named Jesus is and when I read these verses my heart doubles in size just to take it in, but he does not stop there. Jesus is even more.

John 1:4-5

He is life itself and light to men, and His power cannot be overcome.

John 1:4-5 (ESV)

⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John reminds us of what Christ brings to us and His true power. Power John defines but Jesus does not brandish to intimidate. Instead, he comes as a humble servant.

John 1:9-13

Paul talks also about John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord, and it is important, but I hit verses 9-13 and am in awe of God.

John 1:9-13 (ESV)

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

The good news is in these verses. Jesus is the true light, and he offered himself to everyone but not all believed but to those that did he allowed them to become children of God, and I get chill bumps when I read the last of verse 12-13. “he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John lays out an abridged version of the gospel in these few words. The last of Johns introduction is found in verses 14-18

John 1:14-18

The last five verses are kind of the crescendo of John’s introduction. I do not know how to describe it other than to place the words on this page.

John 1:14-18 (ESV)

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

If you have ever opened the Bible and read John 1:1-18 you cannot say that you do not know about Jesus. This short 18 verses touch my heart.

Closing Thoughts

As I reflect on these 18 verses in John 1 and the 3 in Genesis, I am humbled by the Gospel, and at the same time, my heart is filled with thanksgiving.

I know that at this time of year we focus a lot on the birth of the baby Jesus and how all that came to pass. That is so powerful. But for me, I am overwhelmed by John 1 as he gives me the backstory that goes with the birth; A light that cannot be overcome by darkness, and Jesus Christ, the image of God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for everything. Let us never forget the wonder of your plan for us that we might lose grip, but hold fast always. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

Reflections

December 20, 2017

The Narrow Gate

This morning I woke with the hook to an old hymn running through my head. The words were “What a friend I have in Jesus, take it to the Lord in prayer.” It just kept rolling through my head to the point that serval times I just sang it out loud. As these lyrics meandered through my brain. I began to think of what that really meant and found myself in a state of prayer and reflection as I tried to clear the cobwebs of sleep.

At some point, I had started a sermon by Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones where he discussed Ephesians 2:4-7. I also read a post by a friend whose wife is struggling with cancer and the anxiety that comes with it both for his wife and himself.

As I pondered these things, my thoughts seemed to get very jumbled. There is so much in this world that is disheartening while if we just believe in Jesus, these burdens can be lifted.

Ephesians 2

I thought about the sermon as it played and the referenced verses in Ephesians. As I thought of them that song was keeping time although now it was a bit less smooth. It seemed to seek out blank spots in my thoughts to fill to make certain that I did not lose focus.

I looked up the referenced verses.

Ephesians 2:4-7 (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.

Just think about that gift God gave us and the cost, and we were not even interested in being friends with Him, but He paid the ultimate price to open our hearts to Him. I think of Philippians 2 as I ponder this sacrifice.

Philippians 2

God endured every humiliation to save us. Even death on the cross.

Philippians 2:6-8 (ESV)

⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

What greater friend could we have than in Him.

Philippians 4

I thought of my friend and his wife and my own family struggling with health issues and the anxiety that comes with not knowing and fearing the worst. I remembered my Dad and his fears and the prayers I prayed when I could not persuade him to relax. It was in Philippians.

Philippians 4:5-7 (ESV)

The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This prayer gets me through a lot of things. It reminds me of where my hope lies. It does not rest with a man or his implements, but how God might use them for the fulfillment of His plan.

By Faith

I am reminded through the Word of God and these lyrics that I have a true friend in Jesus. Someone in whom I can have faith and place my trust in no matter how dark the circumstance may seem. The light of Christ Jesus cannot be overcome.

Hebrews 11:1-3 (ESV)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² For by it the people of old received their commendation. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

I place my hope and faith in Christ Jesus.

What a Friend I Have in Jesus

That lyric continues as I write and pray and this passage from John came to mind to kind of wrap things up for me.

John 15:15-17 (ESV)

¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Jesus says it so well. God goes on later to remind us that we are adopted into the family. What joy and wonder there is in knowing that.

Closing Thoughts

That song and all the thoughts and posts that laid on my heart as I prayed and meditated this morning were such a comfort. The circumstances of this fallen world can be dark and bring sadness to us all. I can no longer fathom how you can make it in this world without Christ Jesus. I am reminded of one last passage. It is a family Psalm that goes back at least to my Dad’s father. It is Psalm 121.

Psalms 121:1-2 (ESV)

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

² My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

I love the whole Psalm. But these two verses seem to fit with my thoughts today. I thank God for His love and grace and eternal strength.

Prayer

Father, Thank you for everything. All Your love and provision. All Your peace and joy. Praise be to You, God. Let me always take everything to You in prayer… EVERYTHING… In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

Newer Entries
1
…
6
7
8
9
10
…
22
Previous Entries