Going Deep (Trust and Obedience)

December 18, 2017

Friday morning, I woke, and I read a day out of “The Book of Mysteries,” by Jonathan Cahn. It was day 48, and the title was “Into the Deep.” The teacher character in the book spoke of Luke 5:5-11 where Jesus was calling his first disciples.

As I read the devotional in Jonathan Kahn’s book and then the scripture he drew his thoughts from initially I go a different perspective.

Luke 5:3-11

The scripture that the teacher based his teaching on was Luke 5:3-11. In it Luke relayed a story of a time when Jesus was teaching a crowd on the edge of “the lake of Gennesaret,” and he got into Simon Peter’s boat and asked him to put out a bit from shore, and Jesus taught from the boat. When Jesus had finished teaching, he told Peter how to fish.

Luke 5:3-11 (ESV)

³ Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. ⁴ And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. ⁷ They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ⁹ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” ¹¹ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

You could tell by Simon Peter’s tone that he was not eager to drop those nets he had just cleaned, but he did, and Jesus blessed them. They not only caught fish, they nearly sank their boat, ruined their nets, and sank the boats that came to help. When they got to shore they left everything to follow Jesus.

Perspective

Now I read this more than a couple times over the last three days; I did not get it. I saw the act of dropping the nets as an act of obedience. Jonathan Cahn explained it as moving to the deep because that was where the most blessings were… at least that was my initial thought. But the more I meditated on it, the more my perspectives changed.

My thoughts went from one of simply trust and obedience to faith and from faith a deeper relationship with God.

I read all the reference passages included with the daily reading focused on Luke 5:3-11. It also included Genesis 49:25, 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 and as I pondered his thoughts I added 2 Timothy 1:6-7 and Romans 8:14-17

1 Corinthians 2:10-13

I read 1 Corinthians 2, and I struggled a bit with understanding it and how it related to the deep relationship. But I read past 13 through verse 16.

1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (ESV)

¹⁰ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³ And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

¹⁴ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ¹⁶ “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

As I read, I prayed and asked for guidance. My head and heart both ached at times as I tried to grasp this teaching. But what I realized is the great gift that we have in the indwelling Holy Spirit. Without Him, we would be lost, and the Word of God would often be gibberish.

The Holy Spirit came when we gave our life to Christ Jesus. We surrendered our will to Him. This gift is a gift of courage that is ours and is not meant to be squandered staying close to the shore but shared in the deep water without fear. We are not alone in this task the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to not only stay afloat but not fear the deep. It brought to mind for me two other passages. Romans 8:14-17 and 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Courage

I love these two passages from Romans and 2 Timothy. They remind me of who I am and the gift that I have been given.

Romans 8:14-17 (ESV)

¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

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.

Now I ponder these two passages, and they speak of the kind of Spirit we received. In Romans, it was a Spirit of adoption, not slavery or fear. In 2 Timothy, it was a Spirit of power not of fear, but there was a condition to both. We had to suffer with Christ so that we may also be glorified with Him in Romans. In 2 Timothy we must fan the flame of the gift from God to assure we benefit from the gifts God gave us. As I considered these passages I thought about the reference to the deep and the blessings found there.

Reflections

Over the past few days, I have just mulled these things over. I considered all kinds of thoughts from prayer to study of the Word. I thought about writing this blog and sharing the Gospel. But I had never really thought about blessings associated with the deep. I thought of it more as growing than a blessing, but that changed this weekend.

Title Change

The original title for this blog post was going to be “Trust and Obedience” because that is more of what I saw when I initially read these passages, but as you can see it has been replaced with “Going Deep”. The more I read the piece by Jonathan Cahn and read God’s Word and Prayed the more I realized what blessings are found by searching the deep water. Not searching it FOR blessings but searching it to be closer to God.

Closing Thoughts

It is not enough to hang out along the shore and wade in only deep enough to be sure that our head never gets under water. There is an illusion that we are safer there because no sharks will come get us in the shallows, but that is not true. Besides that, we are defining our safe zone rather than trusting the Lord. We are sure if we just stay in the shallows we will be safe. If we always keep our head above the water, we will be safe. But that is a deception from the adversary.

Never getting our hair wet we will never see the beauty of God’s Word that rests just below the surface. Never getting our hair wet we will never throw all our trust in prayer and see what He will do for us. There is far more danger in the shallows alone than in the deep water held by God.

One More Thing

This surrender is not always easy. It can be a radical change. But Jesus died for us and took away our sin and the method He used far exceeds the definition of radical. We are not alone. The Lord is with us and what He has to show us is more beautiful than our minds can grasp, but it is in the deep water, and we must trust Him enough to go where we cannot touch the bottom.

Prayer

Father God, Thank you for everything. It is the only word that works for me this morning. I praise You for keeping me on track and reminding me that the joy and peace come in knowing You and sharing our good Word with others. Thank you for the courage and strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit. I am overwhelmed by His guidance and strength to direct my actions and give me the courage to obey. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen

The Hypocrite?

December 13, 2017

The title of today’s blog, “The Hypocrite?” may seem a bit strange, but I hope you will bear with me. I pray that it will make sense in the end.

This morning when I woke my prayers were prayers filled with repentance because of late they had been so full of requests and that I had lost focus of simply praying to better know God; pray to draw closer to Him.

Yes, I still prayed for my friends, those hurting and in need, the sick and the lost, and my Church. But I had forgotten to many times to spend time in praise asking God to help me seek His face.

I suddenly realized that my prayers the past few weeks had become transactional events instead of discussions with my Father. That was humbling, and it caused my heart to ache. But it did not stop there.

After my prayers, I read Proverbs 2 on the prompting of the K-Love verse of the day.

Proverbs 2

I started with verse 7 and read it. Then I slipped back to verse 6 and read 6-8.

Proverbs 2:6-8 (ESV)

⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

⁷ he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

⁸ guarding the paths of justice

and watching over the way of his saints.

I read the rest of Proverbs 2, and the Lord reminded me of the value of wisdom in those verses. I thought of how my focus had shifted away from seeking His wisdom and more fixing people or things. I realized how much I was taking that for granted and how much I needed His wisdom.

The heading of chapter three also shook me a bit reminding me further how important it is to seek after God always with all your heart. That heading was “Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart.” So that is what I did this morning in kind of a less traditional day for me.

What Next

I sat for a moment or more and just thought about what I had read, and I was still a little jumbled. On autopilot, as I meditated on what I had read I cleaned out my email junk. It is something I do every morning. This time of year, it is full of sales links from photography to Christian bookstores, and we must not forget Amazon.

While I was doing this one of subscriptions on YouTube came up with a video title that caused me to pause and shift my thoughts for reflection to the title. It was “Hypocrisy! – Charles Spurgeon Audio Sermons”

Hypocrisy

Well, I am a Spurgeon fan. To me, he is a good preacher. In this sermon, he held back nothing. He spoke of all the signs of Hypocrisy, but he did it in the form of compare and contrast. As I listened, the Lord reminded me how vigilant I need to be because there is no one that I can better deceive than myself.

I need to always draw close to God and be sure that I am properly focused if my prayers or council are to be of any value.

Hypocrisy vs. Faithfulness

Spurgeon’s sermon laid out some checks and cures for the condition.

The hypocrite is a chameleon with his religion while a true Christian is consistent with his faith.
The hypocrite is quick to condemn others. The Christian places all above himself and focuses on his own shortcomings.
A true Christian is assured by the Holy Spirit that his sins have been taken While the Hypocrite has no peace. God Dislikes the Hypocrite.

Cure for the Hypocrite

Spurgeon proclaimed that self-deception is the easiest sin to fall into. He warned that we need to go to God in prayer and ask, “If I am deceived free me from my deception.” We need to focus on ourselves on this issue. God will take care of those around us.

The thing he said that shook me was “Don’t be content to take your Christianity for granted.” Not that I should doubt my salvation or become worried about it. The thing that came to mind for me was my wife.

I love Pat, and she knows that I do. But do I take her for granted?

Sometimes I do and do not realize it, and sometimes I do, and I can see that I have hurt her in her eyes or her voice and that hurts me.

What about taking God for granted. Well in this circumstance he let me go for a couple of weeks before I realized that I had hurt Him.

What Do I Do Now?

I repent. I pray for forgiveness and remember the order and priority of things.

I remember nothing can be done in secret. God sees and knows everything, and a sin of omission is as painful to Him as one of commission.

There is something else that hurt as I thought of it and that was mistreating others. Getting frustrated with someone at a store or in a restaurant because the service is poor.

We all love grace for ourselves but are sometimes quick to hand out the justice of our own making. That did not work well for the debtor in the parable who was forgiven by his master but did not reciprocate in kind to those who owed him money. God will not be deceived.

Further Reflection

As the sermon ended and I paused to reflect on all that Spurgeon had shared a flood of scriptures came to mind. I tell my daughter Caroline all the time that everything needs to be tested against Gods Word regardless of its origin, so that is what I did. I went to these passages that came to mind and reviewed what God had to say through His Apostles.

The Book of James

I went to James and read chapter 3 and read 13-18 on wisdom and the truth of its source.

James 3:13-18 (ESV)

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.

In these verses, James talks about the difference between the humble and the proud the believer and the hypocrite. He points out the dangers more profoundly than Spurgeon did in his sermon.

James 4

Then I went to chapter 4 and read the warning against worldliness and settled on verse10-10

James 4:4-12 (ESV)

⁴ You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

¹¹ Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. ¹² There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

James did the same in 4-12. He tells us the path to take in Christ Jesus and reminds us in verse 12 there is only one lawgiver.

Galatians

Peter gave an example of the Hypocrite in Galatians and Called Peter to task for it. In chapter 2;11-14

Galatians 2:11-14 (ESV)

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

I looked at that as confirmation of Spurgeon’s comment that self-deception is the easiest sin to fall into. Even Peter deceived himself. When the men from Jerusalem came, he pretended he had not eaten with the Gentiles. If Peter can mess up like that, I surely know I can. The last passage I looked at was Hebrews 10 although I know there are more than support this need to guard the heart.

Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10:19-31 (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.

²⁶ For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

When I read this, I can feel the plea of the Lord through the words of the writer. He has shown us so much. We know the truth. There is no room for the false believer or hypocrite. Only the humble and repentant we have so much we should “stir up one another to love and good works, 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.”

Closing Thoughts

It is so easy to slip into self-deception which can lead to hypocrisy. When things get busy or distracting or just a bit melancholy because of circumstances that cannot be clearly defined it is easy to slip. I think Paul’s reminder to the Philippians is one of my favorite.

Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV)

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Peter runs a close second or maybe is tied.

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.

I am so thankful for God’s Word, His patience, grace, and mercy.

Prayer

Father, forgive me for taking my faith for granted the past little while. Thank you for using the sermon on Hypocrisy to get my attention. Lord, You are amazing and awesome and so patient with me that I cannot be anything but humbled and repentant. Help me be the man that you would have me be by remembering You in how I treat every person. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

The Word Became Flesh

December 11, 2017

Sometimes during the Holidays, I can get melancholy. It is too hard to explain why, besides, I am not always certain why it happens; it just does. I know when it started, but that is not important anymore. It just seems to linger.

This morning I had a bit tougher time getting started. I pushed through it, but it was just a bit muddled. I listened to a couple of old songs folks had posted and read a few words of encouragement written by wise people, and just had to stop and think about what I was hearing and reading.

The songs were beautiful. They were ones I grew up with in the early 70s. The words of wisdom were also beautiful on the surface. But both the songs and the words balanced on the edge of sadness and loneliness.

I pulled myself away from these worldly things and started praying about the condition my condition was in, and I ended up in John 1.

John 1

I read the first 18 verses and paused and prayed several times as I read them.

John 1:1-5 (ESV) The Word Became Flesh

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.

These words are some of the most beautiful to me. When I read them my heart swells with love and hope. John describes how he sees the incarnation of Christ Jesus but not on his own but with the Holy Spirit to guide his heart and his pen. Then in verse 6 he speaks of the messenger, John the Baptist.

John 1:6-8

John a man sent to make straight the way of the Lord. To call out to the world and alert them to the Savior’s coming.

John 1:6-8 (ESV)

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

I love how John refers to Jesus as the Light. In these verses. I love what my mind’s eye sees as I read them. I love the image. There is nothing as beautiful as a day filled with sunlight. Even in a thick forest, the light will find a way through the trees to light the forest floor.

John 1: 9-13

Then we come to verse 9, and I look at that passage, and I can see why so many struggle so with things in this world. They not only do not accept the gift of Christ Jesus they do not even recognize it.

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.

I was one of those that did not see him. My parents took me to church probably until I started working at age 15. Then I pulled away. Looking back, I knew who God was just like I know who the president is today. But I did not know him personally. So instead of seeking solace in God, I sought it out on my own and that never works. It took some time, but I finally became willing to listen to the witness of John, and others in the Word of God, and I am blessed beyond measure.

John 1:14-18

I did wake up on a sunny day the end of April around 8 or 9 years ago, and I heard the Word and recognized all my parents had tried to teach me from a young age and Pat shared with me in our marriage. The words were clear.

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.

What an amazing sacrifice God made for us all. I end up in Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2

Verses 1-10 give me chill bumps every time I read them.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)

¹ And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 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.

What a powerful declaration. What a powerful promise.

Closing Thoughts

Now I am not saying that as a Christian I should not have times when I am sad or even in mourning. I still have the same emotions had before I came to the Lord. I can still be pushed along by a sad song, and sometimes I do not know why. But I have an action plan that is different today from the days before my rebirth.

I talk to God about it. Sometimes He takes it right away, and sometimes he will leave it with me for a time that I might grow from it. I talk to my wife about it and lastly trusted friends who I know to trust in the Lord and will pray for me and with me.

In all this, I remember always one thing…

Psalm 121

Psalms 121 (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.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD is your keeper;

the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

⁸ The LORD will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Prayer

Father, thank you for replacing my heart of stone with a heart of flesh that can ache for others and be saddened by the things around it. Thank you, Lord, for the indwelling of your Holy Spirit in me to help me and guide me when those moments come, and you use them to trim and prune me to bear fruit. Lord God I love you and thank you for every step in my life and in the name of your blessed Son Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!

Hope and Trust Revisited

December 7, 2017

The last couple weeks, give or take, I have been contemplating hope and trust. That meditation all came to a head last night in my last small group study for the fall season. We have been studying the Apostle’s Creed for the last 12 weeks. It is a study assembled by Matt Chandler, a preacher from Texas.

The last phrase of the Apostle’s Creed is, “The resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, Amen.”

Matt opened the video portion of the study discussing hope. He spoke of normal hopes, like a good job and a home and obsessive hopes where we place all the pressure on ourselves to achieve the goal rather than trusting God enough to place our hope in Him.

Struggles

I am going to go back to a time when I was still fairly healthy and still working. I was in a very high-stress job. I liked the work, but I worked for a man that kept me feeling dispensable. He was not my boss, but my bosses boss.

My standard response in those days was to work harder. I pushed harder and pressed to show that I could do the job. I had been born again, and my faith was growing, so I prayed for guidance, and I know God helped me with managing my outward emotions, but I was holding onto the inner ones. I feared that I was not a degreed engineer. You might say I had worked an apprenticeship. I knew how to ask questions and learn, and that served me well until management changes, and I felt very insecure even though the Lord had reassured me often.

All through His Word He promised to provide, and I knew this, BUT I had been raised to be self-reliant, and I took that seriously, so I struggle to let go and let God like my Grandmother told me all the time she was alive. I unknowingly had drawn this line that I would not let God cross.

More Confusion

Because of all this selfishness and stubbornness, the stress had become very difficult to manage, and in the midst of it all a job opening came up in one of my old departments. Instead of knowing what to do I went into a tailspin. Take a shot at the new job or stick it out with my current job. So I prayed. I do not remember how many days or weeks. I just prayed, but I did not get an answer as to which way to go. Instead, I was given some direction that sent me into a tailspin. I did not want to act on it. The action was in Acts 1.

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

Beginning in the 12th Verse of Acts 2 the Disciples discuss the need to replace Judas to return their number to 12. They prayed and discussed the need to replace Judas and Peter went to the Psalms 55:12-15 as confirmation that they need to decide on a replacement for him.

These men whittled it down to two to choose from. At that point, they turned to God completely for the decision.

Acts 1:24-26 (ESV)

²⁴ And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

As soon as I read this passage, I knew what I needed to do. But as much as I knew what to do I was unwilling. I just could not pull the trigger. The Hope and Trust I thought I had were just not as strong as I had to led myself to believe.

Flipping a Coin (Because I do not know how to Cast Lots)

Well after reading that passage the Holy Spirit and I went back and forth for about a week, maybe more, maybe less on this command. It occupied my thoughts everywhere. But I was going to submit. I just did not realize it, and it came with a ritual I had every couple days.

The cafeteria at work closed at 12:30 so if I wanted a drink or a snack in the afternoon I had to have change, and the change machine would cash a $5 bill. I checked my drawer, and it was empty, so I pulled a $5 out of my wallet and went to get change.

Well, the Holy Spirit started working on me a soon as I had all those quarters in my hand, and I was just as stubborn as every other time, and I said I was not going to flip a coin over a job. I head to my desk with the resolve that I had made the right decision.

The Flip

I got to my desk and opened the drawer, and I dropped the change in the drawer and one lone quarter missed and hit the desktop spinning like a top. I am not sure if my heart dropped, my mouth fell open or my heart got stuck in my throat; all I remember is that I said, “Ok Lord, you win, if it is heads I will stay where I am and if it is tales I will apply for the other job.” It continued to spin for a few seconds, and when it rested in the middle of my desk, it was heads. It lifted a weight off my shoulders I felt a sense of relief. But, unfortunately, I still had some work to do on trust.

Hope and Trust

This morning I looked up the words hope and trust in the dictionary, and that was helpful too. I found that part of the definition of Hope was trust. I knew I had placed my hope and trust in God for my salvation. But the temporal things I was still holding tightly. I trusted Him enough to stay where He had planted me, but I still put my hope and trust in my ability to execute the work. I prayed for guidance and understanding, but I never really prayed for help. Nor did I let go enough to let God show me that he would help me through this task. So the stress, anxiety, and fear of failure continued to grow, and I worried I would lose my job, Matt Chandler called that worry and stressed the “Check Engine Light.”

The Fall

Well, the engine light was serious, and I should not have ignored it. But I did, and I developed a pretty serious knock on the motor. Enough so that I was no longer road worthy. But you know God knows us better than we know ourselves and He will use whatever is available to prune and sharpen us for His purpose. The stroke and the disability were difficult to grasp. But as soon as it happened God was there. He was there with my wife, family, and friends and he delivered to me a Bible study that He knew I needed.

Further Proof

When I went on disability, God did His math and showed us how we could function on a significant reduction in salary. He opened my eyes to show that some things I could no longer do but others were available to me. Things I had never considered, like writing and photography.

Every time there was a trial He has shown both Pat and I can trust Him enough to place all our hope in him. I have grown to understand Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 (ESV)

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

He knows us so well. His love for us is immeasurable.

Final Reflections

As I pondered all this and I cannot help but remember the post I wrote earlier in the week on Acts 2 and the Holy Spirit and how we need it all. The Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and Hope, Trust, and Obedience. I was reminded of this by a quote from one of my spiritual mentors, George Mueller.

“The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look at the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusion.”

It was all there for me, and in the end, I did get it. I listened to the Spirit, and I confirmed it in the Word about the job, but I did not listen to Him as He showed me all the promises of provision in the Word until I broke. I know that things would have been different if I had listened. But God knows me, and He knew what it was going to take, and He blessed me with an abundance of Hope and Trust.

Closing thoughts

I know that I still have my moments when I reach for the wheel. I know that there are times when I tell God that I have got this. But because of the teaching of the Holy Spirit and the gift of God’s Word I am quicker now to let go and let God. I am thankful for God’s grace and the glorious gift of repentance and forgiveness.

Prayer

Father, I give thanks to you for all your promises in Your Word. I give thanks for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in me to convict me and teach me. How wise and wonderful you are. Thank you for your patience with me and the gift of repentance and grace. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

December 5, 2017

You know this morning I cannot tell you how my days started. Sure, I can tell you that I had some coffee and I meditated on some things that I had read and listened to last night but beyond that, I did not move forward with any purpose. I seemingly was just putting one thought in front of the other until I picked up my Bible, and found that it was open to Acts 2.

Pat and I participate in a small group about every other Sunday night, and we are moving slowly through Acts. We are still in chapter one but at the end of it. I picked up the Bible and read from the beginning of Chapter 2 and came to Peter’s Sermon that he delivered on that morning to a vast crowd of onlookers.

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost

I read this sermon this morning and then just thought about it. Meditated on what happened that morning.

As he addressed the crowd, he cautioned them to listen and explained they were not drunk. He did not begin with his words; he began with those of the prophet Joel.

Acts 2:14-16 (ESV)

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. ¹⁵ For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

He did not speak on his own authority. He went to the power found only in the Word of God, and before he opened he cautioned them to listen; to “give ear to my words.” (vs 14). Then he began his sermon with those words from the Scriptures. The words of Joel.

As I read this, all I could think of is Christ’s words in Matthew when He warned of persecution.

Matthew 10

Jesus was preparing to send the 12 Apostles out to speak and proclaim as you go, saying, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Matthew 10:7 (ESV). He was giving them instruction. He warned them that there would be persecution and He told them what to do then as well.

Matthew 10:19-20 (ESV)

¹⁹ When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

That passage ran through my head as I read the beginning of verse 15. These had been ordinary simple men, until that morning. Now they were no longer simple but filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:14-21

Peter begins verse 14 standing with the 11 and lifting up his voice addressing a crowd gathered around them. Many had heard the ruckus, and many had been making fun of them as they heard them talking. Now a rough looking fisherman as refined as a wooden cup carved out of a piece of driftwood stood to address them. Many of these men had traveled from the far ends of the world, and I can imagine the trip was not inexpensive for them. I imagine a crowd of wealthier men, and likely some scholars and they are all being called to order by a fisherman, and he is quoting Joel word for word.

As I ponder it a bit, I think it might be like a farmer in Bib Overalls standing on a wall during a break at a global warming symposium calling all these professors to order and quoting some revered righting they all know word for word. I am thinking they would be set back a bit.

But Peter did that, and he did not do it on his own. The Lord gave him the words.

Acts 2:14-16 (ESV)

He spoke with boldness. Not his words, but words given him by the Holy Spirit, and not from his strength or confidence but that given him by God. The thing is when I read this passage, I can see the crowd hushed, and just the slightest tinge of fear come over them mixed with pride asking, “who is this man to speak to us like that.” But not enough to overcome the fear. So, they stand and listen.

Acts 2:16-21

Peter explains to them what they are witnessing. The men are not drunk, but the prophecy of Joel is being fulfilled. Think about that. Can you imagine what is going through the minds of this crowd? They know they have been hearing the message in their own tongue, but they must be struggling with how that is possible. Then Peter opens with this passage.

Acts 2:16-21 (ESV)

¹⁶ But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

¹⁸ even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

¹⁹ And I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

²⁰ the sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

²¹ And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

I can hear a faint murmur in the crowd and other hushing them as they try to hear. So many things must be running through the minds of these folks, as Peter says it.

²¹ And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

I must believe that sentence hushed the crowd if only for a moment as Peter took another deep breath, and began with verse 22.

Acts2:22-24

These verses had to cause those that stayed to shudder. I am sure some turned to leave. Some left, but some were drawn back as Peter spoke.

Acts 2:22-24 (ESV)

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

What powerful words Peter speaks. I imagine the crowd now is stuck unable to turn away. Like that movie that keeps us on the edge of our seat unable to imagine what might happen next, but this is different because by now they are beginning to understand Peter speaks of life and death, as he turns to the words of David from Psalm 16 in most of the next verses.

Acts 2:25-28

This Jesus that Peter spoke of these men had at least heard of his plight, and some probably had called for His crucifixion. Peter finishes with Joel by telling them that God raised him from the dead and now he is speaking from the Psalms 16 of David

Acts 2:25-28 (ESV)

²⁵ For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,

for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;

²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

my flesh also will dwell in hope.

²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,

or let your Holy One see corruption.

²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of gladness with your presence

He went from there to verse 29 through 36.

Acts 2:29-36

In these verses, he makes it plain to them.

Acts 2:29-36 (ESV)

²⁹ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

As I read this passage, I imagine now all who are left are silent and listening intently to the words of Peter. I imagine him no longer using a raised voice but more a firm and direct voice more subdued delivering this serious message as to force people to strain to listen. Then he stops, and there is this moment of confusion where no one wants to say anything until they know he is finished. The next verse says it all.

Acts 2:37-41

I imagine these people shaken to their core looking about to be sure that they are all still standing. Verse 37 is so vivid an image for me as are the rest of the verses through 41. I can imagine the crowd waiting for that one voice to ask the question of what to do and all praying the answer was one of hope.

Acts 2:37-41 (ESV)

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?” 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.” 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.

And Peter did not hold back he told them what they must do. I found it curious that there were not any exclamation points in the text. They were all level deliveries of what was needed. It blows me away how the good news does not need the roar of a rushing wind or a great storm. It simply needs a calm and confident voice.

Closing Thoughts

As I read these 30 or so verses, I found myself in the middle of it imagining how Peter and the 11 felt as they shared this good news and the 1000s listening as they heard it. Peter started the whole thing by asking these men to listen to what he had to say because it was important. He said it a couple of times. I know the Holy Spirit gave Peter the words to speak, I must believe He also grabbed the attention of the crowd as well.

When we study the Word of God, and we pray for guidance it is not enough to speak or read; we too must listen. That was driven home to me in a daily verse that I read first thing, and I want to include it in the close. It is in Hebrew 2.

Hebrews 2:1 (ESV)

¹ Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

We surely need to listen to what God reveals to us in His Word, or it is simply letters on a page, and like the seed cast on the hard ground, it will not take root.

Prayer

Father, thank you, Lord, for your Holy Word and the lessons in it. Thank you for the gift of your indwelling Spirit who guides us and teaches us every moment of the day. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

Forgiveness of Sins

November 30, 2017

Every Wednesday night my wife Pat and I participate in a Small Group study at our Church. This fall we chose the Apostles Creed and last night we watched a video by the study’s author, Matt Chandler, which covered the stanza “The forgiveness of sins.”

It is the next to last week, and like every week they seem to get better.

Pat and I chose this class seemingly for a different reason than we usually use. We picked this class because we had never had the opportunity to study the word with Lee who was leading the class and we wanted to get to know him better and did feel the topic would be good. But the Holy Spirit had a couple of reasons to be in that class besides getting to know Lee. It seems that there was much we could learn from the scriptures that support the Apostles Creed.

Forgiveness of Sins

Last night we listened to the Matt Chandler on forgiveness of sins, and he took us through God’s Word and discussed the disdain that God had for sin while loving us so much that he was willing for His son to die to pay our debt. His forgiveness was complete.

The video is excellent but too much for me to cover here. If you want to listen to it, the video is on YouTube with the other12 videos. They run about 45 minutes each. They can be found at The Village Church, The Apostles Creed. When we finished, we had a short discussion.

Group Discussion

We talked about repentance before God. We talked about confessing our sins to one another and forgiving each other as God has forgiven us. Then an interesting discussion came up. It was short, but it was very pertinent to the discussion. Someone said sometimes the hard part is forgiving ourselves.

We talked about that for a while. I think Pat mentioned that she could not find anywhere in the Word where it said we needed to forgive ourselves. As we discussed it, I think we all kind of agreed that the devil reminded us every chance he got of where we messed up. But we had to remember God had granted us forgiveness for our sins and we needed to leave them at the cross and not pick them up when he tried to torment us with them and try to make us feel unworthy of forgiveness.

Pat and I both enjoyed the video and the discussion, and it continued the ride home and after we got home. This morning is when I got some interesting confirmation.

The Book of Secrets

I have “The Book of Secrets” by Jonathan Cahn. He is a messianic Jew with a deep understanding of Hebrew and the Jewish Bible. Normally I read this every morning, but for the last 2 or 3 days, it has laid where I keep it opened to the next page undisturbed until this morning.

This morning I was compelled to read it and was it ever worth the wait. The daily text was titled, “The Asham,” and it could not have been more pertinent to what I was meditating on this morning.

The book is structured as a daily reading with a student and a teacher. Each day plays out a lesson between the teacher and the student and then gives an assignment with supporting scriptures. Today’s lesson included Isaiah 53 and defined the meaning of the Asham.

The Asham

The Asham was the Hebrew word for the guilt offering administered by the priests in the temple. But Asham had a second meaning. It not only was the offering, but it was also the guilt itself. In ancient times it was a sheep that was both the guilt offering and the guilt. Are you confused yet? The teacher in the book says it better. “Yes, but it goes together. The guilt offering could only take away the guilt of the one offering it by first becoming the guilt.”

The other interesting point is that Asham was used in Leviticus to describe the animal sacrifices and that same word was used in Isaiah 53 to describe the Messiah.

Thoughts; Mine and the Book

I had always had this vision of a list of my sins being nailed to the Cross when I brought to Jesus and the Cross. Now the image has changed for me, and my heart aches as I visualize it. The teacher said a couple of things I had not internalized. First, “When you see Him on the cross, you see the Asham, the sacrifice, but also the guilt itself.” That visual humbled me, but the next set me free.

The teacher elaborated on the visual of the cross and Jesus and put to rest for me the discussion of forgiving myself. The student asked a question about sin being nailed to the cross, and the Teacher replied

Asham and Forgiveness.

This part took my breath away. The teacher said, “Your guilt (is) nailed to the cross. And if Messiah is the Asham and the Asham is the guilt, then if the Asham dies, so too your guilt has died and all your shame, and all your regrets. They’ve all died and are gone… completely and forever… it is finished in the Asham.”

Reflection

Now that set me back on my heals in a good way. It got me to thinking of what God has said in His Word. I read Isaiah 53 and looked at what was prophesied about the Messiah. I also got thinking about how the new testament spoke of the forgiveness of sin and Cahn referenced one of my favorite. 2Corinthians 5:21

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I realized that I took this passage at face value because I did not fully understand it until I learned the meaning of the Hebrew word Asham. I envision the body of Christ Jesus on the cross and shaken. His body so torn and beaten, a lamb without blemish, torn to near death by lashing and beating and torture before he died on the cross my guilt, (Asham), paid for by Jesus the Asham so that my guilt, shame, sin, and retreats could be killed with Him. He became sin so that it could die with Him.

Closing Thoughts

Now I see that I cannot forgive myself. Jesus did that for me. I must confess my sins and repent turning from them and realize that they are no more. I know now that they are but a weapon of the adversary to introduce doubt where he can. But I have the Full Armor of God, (Ephesians 6:10-20) and God defends me. When the devil cast a flaming arrow at me of an old memory of sin. My shield will deflect it and my Sword, (God’s Word), will cut it down.

Ephesians 6:12 (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.

I am thankful for the wisdom God shares with me every day and the discernment He gives me to trust and verify in His Word.

Prayer

Father, all that I can say this morning is Thank You for your love! It is deeper and broader than I can imagine. Father help me hold onto nothing that might get between you and me. I pray I am always quick to listen and obey. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

The Lord is My Strength and My Shield

November 27, 2017

Last night Pat and I met with some friends in a small discussion group to enjoy a meal together and discuss God’s Word. It was a wonderful night of discussion and a pretty diverse group in regards to age. The discussion began with the book of Acts and quickly moved to trust.

Well, that issue is one of those that I wrestle with on occasion; even with God. But God has shown me the foolishness of not trusting Him over and over. This morning He reminded me again as my prayers led me to a few passages in His Word. The first was in Psalms.

Psalms 28:6-9 (ESV)

The Psalm came from a K-love verse of the day. It started the rock rolling along the hillside. The title of the Psalm is “The LORD Is My Strength and My Shield,” and David writes it. I especially liked verses 6-9

Psalms 28:6-9 (ESV)

⁶ Blessed be the LORD!

For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield;

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;

my heart exults,

and with my song I give thanks to him.

⁸ The LORD is the strength of his people;

he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

⁹ Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!

Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

I read the Psalm, and these last few stanzas just reminded me of God’s power and His love for me. As I reflected on these words I remembered a fundamental truth of God – He keeps His promises, and He cannot lie. How do I know that? He tells me in His Word.

Reflection

I thought over all of this and was reminded that God has never let me down. There have been moments of uncertainty when things did not happen in “MY TIME, ” but they always happened in God’s time. There were times when I thought he was doing one thing, and it was simply preparation for a bigger thing, but always I was in His hand.

As I pondered these things, my focus shifted to God’s Word.

I noodled over the old testament and the new. As I considered all that it contained my heart filled with thanksgiving. I realized how lost I would be without it.

Sure, if we did not have it God could find other ways to communicate with us, and he already does, through the Holy Spirit, and the body of the Church and Godly Friends, but He gave us His Word. The source of absolute truth that speaks to every need. This morning after Psalms I went to Colossians.

Colossians

Now I read Colossians this morning and it is a short book, but in it, I saw nothing that we do not face here today in our world. Some may say the distraction is less relenting. Some may say the evil is more pervasive, but at its root, it is the same. Paul talks about the preeminence of Christ Jesus. He talks about as a Christian we are alive in Christ, and he reminds us of all that from which Jesus saved us. He also warns not to let anyone disqualify our salvation using false doctrine. In chapter 3 he reminds us to put on our new self.

Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)

¹ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

In verses 5-11 He reminds us to put to death all the worldly things about us.

Colossians 3:5-11 (ESV)

⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. ¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Reflections

As I thought about the trust discussion, we had last night and the prompting I got from the Holy Spirit to spend some time in Psalm 28 and the Book of Colossians I could not help but fall back to how important the Word of God is in all aspects of my life. It is our only source of truth. It is also not a word of man but The Word of God.

John 1:1-5 (ESV)

God has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us and the Holy Word to teach us about Him. It lead me to Hebrews 1:1

Hebrews 1:1-3 (ESV)

¹ Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² 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. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

What a glorious gift we have in the Holy Spirit and God’s Holy Word. But they are only of value if they are used to grow personally, and in small groups as well in the body of the church. If not used they are like an old motorcycle left to sit. It may be all shiny, but after a while, it is nothing more than a lawn ornament because all the internals has gone to rust.

Closing Thoughts

I give thanks to the Lord for all His provision. It amazes me how much I grow every time I open the word. I look at the Epistles and think about that first-century church and am amazed at how familiar I am with their struggles and how much comfort I get from a letter written 2000 years ago is so current and helpful in my walk. I look at the old testament and read a book, and an even older lesson helps me in a time of trial. I am simply reminded of 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.

And every time I read this passage I am thankful for my great and powerful God that loves me.

Prayer

Father, Thank you for your word. Thank you for the insight I gain every day as the Holy Spirit guides me through its passages. Lord God what a gift it is to help me draw closer toward you every day and to gain the strength to face the trials of this world. Lord, I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen!

Praise Him

November 22, 2017

Despite the Circumstances

This morning I read several Psalms. I started in 96 and ended in 107. The title of Psalm107 stopped me and caused me to reflect on it, and it was as if I had never read the Psalm before. The Title was “Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So.” The opening stanza was like the others that preceded it this morning they all spoke of giving praise to God.

Psalms 107:1-3 (ESV)

¹ Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!

² Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,

whom he has redeemed from trouble

³ and gathered in from the lands,

from the east and from the west,

from the north and from the south.

But after this first stanza, things changed a bit each subsequent stanza told an initial tale of woe.

Life

Life happened to these people that God redeemed. Some were not good people. Some were simply lost others thrown into trials that tested their faith to the brink.

As I read each tale, I could see myself in all of them to one degree or another. Sometimes lost sometimes angry and in rebellion and other times simply frightened and overwhelmed by my circumstances.

Psalms 107:4-5 (ESV)

⁴ Some wandered in desert wastes,

finding no way to a city to dwell in;

⁵ hungry and thirsty,

their soul fainted within them.

Psalms 107:10-11 (ESV)

10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,

prisoners in affliction and in irons,

¹¹ for they had rebelled against the words of God,

and spurned the counsel of the Most High.

These are but two examples, but they continue through the whole Psalm.

Redemption

There was another common theme in this Psalm. When each person reached their bottom. They cried out to the Lord, and He delivered them. He lifted them out of their circumstance and saved them… Saved US.

Reflection

You know in this season, for some reason, we can all seem to look back on the years and give thanks, even non-believers. But it does not take long for that to fade. Circumstances can get our attention, and before you know it, we are in a struggle with something or someone that has no real power over us. Besides that, with all the frustration, anger or worry, we have little or no power over it either.

Sure, you used to be able to smack the side of a TV and it would work for a while and you can intimidate someone into relenting in an argument, but in the end the TV is still broken, and the persons mind is unchanged; in fact, you probably made both things worse in the long term for that short-term gain.

Closing Thoughts

I am thankful for the Lord leading me to this Psalm this morning. He reminded me regardless of my circumstances my best option is always to trust in Him and if my faith waivers, as it sometimes does, He will be there when I come to my senses. I am also reminded of two favorite passages in the New Testament. One in Matthew and the other in Ephesians.

Matthew

The passage in Matthew is Jesus reminding us what the Psalmist said in the title of Psalm 107 “Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So.”

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.”

Ephesians

The passage in Ephesians reminds me of the lostness of the individuals in each stanza and how God saved them when they cried out.

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.

We were saved while we were still dead in our sin. Saved by grace through faith. I get cold chills when I think of it. I give praise to God for His mercy.

Prayer

Father, thank you for saving me while I was dead in my sin. Thank you for pulling me free by grace through faith. We praise you Lord and serve you with a joy-filled heart in Jesus name Amen!

Live in Kindness and Love

November 15, 2017

The Light of the Son

This morning a friend of mine posted something on Facebook that my wife Pat and I discuss a lot. She and I struggle with the ugly way people tear each other down. My friend, Machell’s post, was simple and to the point. I liked it. Show kindness.

“Life is so much better when people are kind to each other. It isn’t that hard to do. We all should be building each other up, not tearing down.”

I read that, and I immediately got a nudge by the Holy Spirit reminding me that there is a scripture that speaks to that very thing. So I searched for the passage. Frankly, Google is quicker than the concordance. I found the passage that Machell had paraphrased. It was in Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) ²⁹ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Now I love Machell. She is a very sweet and tender-hearted person, and what she said is something we should strive for, but when Paul says it the phrase carries with it authority. It is not just a good idea, but a command from the Word of God. Now I pondered this a long time before I decided to use this on my blog today. It all just rolled around in my head like a ball in an empty room; once in a while it hit a wall, and I would remember the thought. But I continued with my study, and I read “The Book of Mysteries” by Johnathan Kahn.

“The Book of Mysteries” Day 39

Day 39 was titled “Celestial Seed.” In the one page story or devotional the teacher was holding a bag of seeds, and he spoke of how the seeds did no good in the bag. They needed to be planted where they could grow. He talked at length about the sowing of seed, but halfway down the page, he tells the student that is not why he brought him there. He stops talking an pulls a Bible out of his pocket and begins to equate the seed to the Word of God.

“If the Word stays on the pages and is never sown to life, then its life stays unlocked, unrealized. So the Word must be sown. “

“Sown to what soil?” I asked.

“Sown into the soil of life, ” He replied. “Sown into the lives of others… and to the soil of your own life. The seed must become one with the soil. So the Word must become one with your life. So you need to sow the Word into every situation of your life and let it become one with the soil-the soil of your heart, your thoughts, your emotions, your life. For when the Word becomes one with your life, then its shell will break open, its plan will be activated, its promise unlocked, its life released, and its miracle begun.” “The Book of Mysteries” by Jonathan Kahn Day 38

I pondered this passage from the book for a long time this morning. You know how I am always talking about the need to be in the Word. Well, this morning I was reminded that I could use any words to make a point… any, but if I use the Word of God, there is power in those words. The Lord also reminds me of Isaiah that there is something else special about His words.

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.

I do not know about you, but as I read that passage, I got a cold chill or goose bumps or whatever you call it.

Reflection

As I ponder these passages and how the Holy Spirit used the writing of a dear friend to prompt all this I am overwhelmed. There is such a subtle difference between what my friend wrote and what the Holy Word says that one could almost see the first in a contemporary translation of the Word save for one thing. The text from Ephesians ends on grace, and if you go to the Word of God to get the context of that one sentence, you get this.

Ephesians 4:30-32 (ESV)

³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Jonathan Kahn is right. The Word of God left on the page cannot grow or bear fruit. These Words are “celestial seeds” that must be planted and to do that we must first plant them in our hearts. If they are not there, we cannot accomplish anything.

1Peter

At the end of day 35, Jonathan Kahn prompted the reading of 1Peter 1:23 but I needed the context, and it is powerful.

1 Peter 1:22-25 (ESV)

²² Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, ²³ since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; ²⁴ for

“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

²⁵ but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

I look at this passage, and I see the path of the Christian and our dependence on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to help me understand it. What a gift he has given us and what great news we have to share.

Closing Thoughts

As I consider this flood of information that God shared with me through His Word with a simple prompt of a godly woman I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving. It simply further fuels my hunger for God’s Word so that I might know it better and listen and act in accordance with His Will; the Truth of His Word.

I cannot help but be reminded of the Lord’s command for the King of Israel in Deuteronomy 17.

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.

A command for a king. A king that did not yet reign, but one that God knew would. If he needed the book of the law to keep him humble why wouldn’t I, and given the gift of the new covenant and the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide me in prayer and study of the Word why would I not hunger to know more? What a gift we have in God’s plan. I give thanks for the living water of His Word.

Prayer

Father, today my prayer is so simple. I am really at a loss for words. My only thought is Thank you for all provision; both physical and spiritual. To you, Lord be the Glory! In Jesus name, I pray, AMEN!

A Well-Balanced Meal for the My Soul

November 13, 2017

The Hidden Path

This morning as I prayed and studied I got caught up in the power of the Lord and the wonder of His love for us. My prayers, like always pushed me to the Word. Not that I needed the push, but more than the Word, as well as prayer, praise, encouragement, and meditation, are essential parts of a balanced meal for the soul.

The body needs sleep, food, water, and exercise. I can get by without some of these things for a while, but over time the body suffers. The same is true of my soul. I need prayer, worship, meditation, and the Word. I can get by without some of these for a while, but my soul suffers.

This morning the Lord used Philippians to point this out to me. I will tell you that was NOT what was on my mind this morning to discuss, but it is now! I read all of Philippians this morning after prayers, and after some struggle, I realized my plans had changed.

Prayer and Encouragement

Paul almost always opens his letters with a prayer of encouragement. Philippians are not different. You can feel the love that he has for the Philippians as you read Phil 1:3-11. I love verse 6 in this passage and verses 9-11

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

⁶ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:9-11 (ESV)

⁹ And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul is in prison, and this is the prayer he has for the Philippians; one of love and encouragement to keep them focused on the love Jesus despite their circumstances. From there he speaks of his condition.

The Advance of the Gospel.

Paul is in prison, and he does not complain. Instead, he explains that God has made it work out for the good. It has served to advance the Gospel. It has made most brothers bolder in their teaching, and it has given him a chance to share the Gospel with the whole imperial guard. He knows he has little time left, and he struggles with that too. Philippians 1:21 is such an amazing thing to ponder.

Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Paul had suffered so much in his life, but He knew the value of each path. To live meant to continue to spread the gospel and to die to mean rest and he was sure that he was destined to live longer.

Philippians 1:24-26 (ESV)

²⁴ But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Humility

I read on in Philippians and Paul spoke of humility. The example he chose was Jesus. When I look at what he wrote I struggle to find words to describe how it impacts me. I think of things I have tried to surrender, and they pale by what Jesus did for me.

Philippians 2:1-7 (ESV)

¹ So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 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.

I read this passage over and over, and I am humbled because of Paul’s plea in the first few verses than after he reminds me how I should live he reminds me of what Jesus sacrificed. That is humbling, and that is the ultimate example of placing others before myself.

Paul doesn’t limit it to people we like. He talks about everyone, as Christ Jesus did.

Philippians 2:8 (ESV)

⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Reflections

I worked my way through the whole book this morning. I found new passages that I had not seen as significant before. My focus on others was slightly different than before. I looked at Paul’s declaration in chapter three and God’s provision in chapter four, and I was thankful for having this Holy Word. I was also happy to have a church family to worship with on Sunday and Wednesdays and small groups of believers that just enjoy getting together to discuss God’s Word. I ached for those that were alone whether they believed or not. I also thought how blessed I am to have the Word of God to fill my spirit.

Closing Thoughts

You know in the first century when the Apostles were taking the message of the Gospel to the world they gave their testimony to the people, and people believed. They were baptized and received the Holy Spirit and, yet it is obvious that in the absence of the teachers the churches need encouragement and correction and the letters from the Apostles was the tool to do that.

Today we hear the Gospel and testimony of believers to bring us to Christ. But just like the ancient church, it takes more than a one-time event to keep our faith growing. We need the Word, Prayer, Worship, and Meditation as well as discussion to grow our faith and keep it strong against the distractions of the world.

Without it, we leave ourselves open to the attack of the adversary. Paul reminds us:

Philippians 2:12-18 (ESV)

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. ¹⁷ Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

I cannot help but seek the strength and truth that I find in God’s Holy Word.

Prayer

Father, I pray simply that my hunger and thirst for your Holy Word never be satisfied. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

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