Thursday, November 6, 2008

HYPOCRISY

James Hewett, in Illustrations Unlimited, tells the story of an Irish priest, who, newly arrived in New York City, decided to visit the Bowery—a haven of homeless alcoholics and other derelicts. While walking the streets he suddenly felt a gun against his ribs. Then he heard a raspy voice: “All right mister, gimme all your money!” As he quickly reached for his wallet the holdup man noticed his clerical garb. Overcome with shame the thief said, “Forgive me, Father. I didn’t know you were a priest.” The priest replied, “That’s all right, Son. Just repent of your sin. Here, have a cigar.” The robber replied, “Oh, no, thank you, Father, I don’t smoke during Lent.”

Meditation

1 Peter 2:1—Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines hypocrisy as: “The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness.” Karl Rahner, quoted in the Wittenburg Door, said, “The number one cause of atheism is Christians. Those who proclaim God with their mouths and deny Him with their lifestyles is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable.” We all know hypocrites, and if we are honest we see our own shades of falseness.

What causes whim and will to cavort towards flesh at the expense of walking holy? Hypocrisy is rooted in three things: ego, insecurity and immaturity. The first two are calculated and layered upon perception. The Jewish religious leaders of Jesus day were adept at looking good in the eyes of the people with their pious behavior and scholarly knowledge. But Jesus, looking into their hearts saw rotten, self-absorbed men as evidenced by their callous disregard for hurting people. How God must grieve today as he looks down and sees the same distorted pride flourish among many who call themselves His faithful followers.

Rhonda challenges her Tuesday class to love their neighbors. “This is a great way to reach them for the Lord,” she intones. But she avoids the Iranian family next door. She knows the prejudice on her block toward these foreigners. Rather than reach out to them she kowtows to the beat of the street. When our eyes are on the crowd and not focused on the master our lives will be a lie as we live behind the plaster.

When we dedicate ourselves to knowing God and following after His Son pretentious behavior becomes repugnant. We have no place for phoniness. A relationship riveted in truth, characterized by selflessness and frequently washed by Living Water shines and fills the air with the fresh unmistakable fragrance of purity.

Inspiration

One foot cannot stand on two boats.—Chinese Proverb

Hypocrite: Someone who complains there is too much sex and violence on his VCR.—Marriage Partnership

A hypocrite is one who plays two parts consciously for his own ends. When we find fault with other people we may be quite sincere, and yet Jesus says in reality we are frauds.—Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint.—Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

A Pharisee is a man who prays publicly and preys privately.—Don Marquis (1878-1937)

I will have nought to do with a man who can blow hot and cold with the same breath.—Aesop (Fl. C. 550 B.C.)

HUMILITY

Philippians 2:5-11—Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 1:15-17 that Jesus, "is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." The word "firstborn" in the Greek language in which Colossians was written, does not mean first-created. Rather, it means that Jesus is preeminent. Cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses have wrongly used the word firstborn to teach that Jesus was like us, a created being. Such could not be further from the truth. The Bible emphatically supports the deity of Christ, teaches us that He is the Creator and proclaims He exists with no beginning or end.

If we contrast the two passages of Scripture noted above, how can we not be astounded! The omnipotent Son of God willingly chose to become the suffering Son of Man. Imagine if you as a brilliant human were able to create a whole new species we’ll call the Dorkins. You the creator, the clever designer, became painfully bruised by the aberrant behavior of these Dorkins who with the freedom you gave them rejected your guidance, to go their own way. You could easily have eliminated these misfits and started over but you loved them so deeply you willingly humbled yourself and through a complex operation became a Dorkin to save them from their hopeless rebellion. You did all this knowing in advance these creatures’ temperament and nature would lead most of them to reject and ultimately murder you. Would you set aside your absolute power, abandon your unequaled prestige to stoop so low as to become a Dorkin?

Could it be that the hardest concept to grasp for humanity is the place of humility? The harder we push to have our own way, to become great, to achieve what our egos insist we deserve, the further we push ourselves away from the Messiah who did just the opposite.

Those who are humble do not draw attention to their humility for that would be false-pride. Those who are humble identify with Christ and seek to be like Him. "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:6,7,10). Something to think about . . . in reveration.

Inspiration

If humility were put up as an ideal it would serve only to increase pride. Humility is not an ideal; it is the unconscious result of the life being rightly related to God and centered in Him.—Oswald Chambers in Biblical Psychology

HOSPITALITY

Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, “Fish and visitors smell in three days.” He must have had some trying guests underfoot! Erwin W. Lutzer wrote:

Hospitality is a test for godliness because those who are selfish do not like strangers (especially needy ones) to intrude upon their private lives. They prefer their own friends who share their life-style. Only the humble have the necessary resources to give of themselves to those who could never give of themselves in return.

Meditation

Hebrews 13:2—Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. (NLT)

Imagine encountering someone you don’t know, a person in need. In kindness you reach out and minister whether by word, providing food, giving shelter or lending monetary assistance. You give with no concern for repayment. What if you were being tested by God? I’d hate to find out I was with an angel and behaved like a devil.

Hospitality is the ability to serve strangers or friends for the purpose of honoring God by sharing loving acts of kindness. It can be as much a one time action as a long-extended practice. Professor Joe Aldrich loved to teach his students, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” In a land that deifies selfishness, hospitality gives its last glass of water to a hot, weary traveler. In a society that perfects privatization hospitality has the faith to be vulnerable to serve anyone for Jesus.

If your church is not growing, run a hospitality diagnostics check. Are you welcoming visitors? I don’t mean the official handshake from an assigned greeter. Who is making the time to find out as much as possible about the newcomers and then offering every courtesy to make them feel welcome—included?

I grew up in a family where people constantly lived in our home. I am better today because of what I learned from men and women who shared our roof. It wasn’t always convenient. Sacrifices were involved, personalities didn’t always mesh. But I learned watching my parents, that investing in the lives of people on a daily basis is profoundly rewarding. I see my sister and brother-in-law frequently open their home to neighbors. They have the vision. It’s exciting to see them in action.

It’s not easy to be hospitable. Perhaps you’re tired. Take heart friend! Your caring spirit blesses in ways you’ll never know. Refresh yourself in the Master. Keep your eyes on Him. The Jesus Who washed His disciples’ feet wants to work through our hands to bless those hungry to know His love. Something to think about . . . in reveration.

Inspiration

Hospitality is one form of worship.—Jewish Proverb

When there is room in the heart there is room in the house.—Danish Proverb

HOPE

Isaiah 40:31—But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

As a sophomore in high school, Isaiah 40:31 became my favorite verse for cross-country. There is nothing quite like running up mountainous terrain in the humidity and heat of the Philippines. My hope was definitely that the Lord would provide me renewed strength! I look back on those days with fond memories. God was teaching me lessons I would need for life which in many ways is like a cross-country race. It is full of ups and downs. Just when it feels good to coast a hill looms ahead. At the point of sheer exhaustion peaks give way to plains and the weary spirit rejoices.

Wednesday night a saint fell. My special friend, Georgia Drake, tripped and broke her femur despite the presence of a steel rod and an artificial hip. Osteoporoses leaves her susceptible to serious injury. Arthritis has turned her race into a daily battle with affliction. If her strength resided in her Greek ancestral roots even her gutsy spirit would cave in to the merciless attacks of pain. But her hope is in Jesus. Not even a hospital bed can rob her of the power to walk and not be faint. Her gait is not measured by gravity because her soul is not tethered to dirt. She soars where eagles can only dream of flying. She’s a remarkable woman who wears the robe of grace.

Do you know how wonderful it is to hope? Life for the follower of Christ, is a journey in joy. Do accidents occur? Certainly! Do we always get what we want? No! Can life be unfair? Yes! So what! "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38,39)

Are you discouraged? Take heart—have hope. Get back in the race! Run in the strength of Jesus. God loves you so much He gave you your very own Savior! That’s reason to celebrate in reveration . . .

Inspiration

Hope without faith loses itself in vague speculation, but the hope of the saints transfigured by faith grows not faint, but endures "as seeing Him who is invisible." Oswald Chambers in Christian Disciplines

HONOR

Psalm 62:7—My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Honor seems to be a lost concept in these decaying days. As she declines cynicism ascends to ravage our land. People watch their heroes fall to lust, haughtiness and hypocrisy to the point that scandal has become ho-hum. Of course this makes sense for honor cannot be owned long by anything infected by sin. When people conclude it is hopeless to live a virtuous life they must find some means to justify their tainted tastes. Rather than fight an insatiable flesh some condone it as natural and reinvent virtue in defiled ways. "They plot injustice and say, 'We have devised a perfect plan!' Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning" (Psalm 64:6). Whenever evil is called good understand that honor is despised as intolerant. Thus, the mother who decries the neighborhood pedophile is labeled by sexual deviants as hateful.

True honor must come from Truth and only Jesus claimed this title (John 14:6). He backed up His claim by living perfectly. Therefore, we gain our honor by gaining Christ. We fellowship with His honorable Father through His merit and not our own. Jesus challenges us to deny ourselves so we can be free of our selfishness and set our eyes on God. He showed us how to live. He sent His Spirit to help us be like Him.

When we call ourselves Christians, we associate ourselves with Christ. To live dishonorably is to slander His holy name. To live through His power is to generate light that brings hope to those trapped in darkness. You don’t have to be greatly gifted or famous to be honorable. God can use you in the humblest of settings and obscure places to further His kingdom if you will commit to doing your best wherever you are for His glory. This is honor.

Homage Lord we give to You Who made us by Your perfect will.

Our dignity was bought by grace when all our sins Your blood erased.

Noble Light, Your love proclaimed; from our darkness we were saved!

Only You deserve the words, “King of kings and Lord of lords!”

Reverence woven rich by awe for You are worthy over all!

Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

We pay God honor and reverence, not for His sake (because He is of Himself full of glory to which no creature can add anything), but for our own sake.—Thomas Aquinas

Our estimate of honour measures our growth in grace. What we stand up for proves what our character is like.—Oswald Chambers in Biblical Psychology

HONESTY

For nine years I’ve led an adult coed soccer league in the city of Tigard. This is the second year we have run the league without referees. The first season we tried it there were complaints and it was a rocky transition. It was clear that some players preferred refs because they could cheat. They could bend the rules to their advantage. If the official didn’t see the infraction, than that was part of the game.

Without referees the peer pressure to be honest is phenomenal. Suddenly, cheating comes with a steep price—people agitatedly address any player who ignores the rules. It is encouraging to see adults work through conflict via their team captains. No longer must we listen to the incessant whining of those attracted to whistle-laden judges. By no means have we arrived where we should be—but the league continues to get better, we’re becoming a trustworthy community. Hallelujah!

Meditation

Psalm 51:6—But You desire honesty from the heart, so You can teach me to be wise in my inmost being. (NLT)

King David penned, "The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip" (Psa.37:30,31). If we stumble morally, it’s because God’s truth is not operative in our hearts. Honesty requires a clean interior. Honesty cannot live with these statements:

"I’m not really hurting anyone so what I’m doing is okay." [The words "not really" give away the reality that deep inside we know the contemplated action is wrong.]

"Everyone else does it!" or "Cheating is a cultural norm here." [This renders God’s laws subservient to whatever the norm is.]

"Tit for tat!" [Retaliation does not excuse falsehoods, leave revenge in God’s hands.]

"But if I tell him the truth he might be hurt." [Proverbs 12:19—"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment." By speaking falsehoods to gain temporary peace we presume to be junior holy spirits, to know what is best. If we assume that sparing someone from hurt is always better than we misunderstand pain and how God can use it to bring about growth. And, sometimes the most truthful thing to do is to say nothing.]

I am so pleased with my children watching them choose to speak honestly even when they know they give up a perceived advantage. In the gospels, 78 times Jesus uttered the phrase "I tell you the truth," before imparting lessons to His listeners. The people recognized His divine wisdom. May it be so with us! May God’s wisdom permeate our speech because we make the conscious choice to be honest!

Inspiration

An honest man’s the noblest work of God.—Alexander Pope

You see, the word "sincere" comes from two Latin words meaning "without wax." Artificers of Middle Eastern countries fashioned highly expensive statuettes out of a very fine porcelain. It was of such fragile nature that extreme care had to be taken when firing the figurines to keep them from cracking. Dishonest dealers would accept the cracked figurines at a much lower price and then fill the cracks with wax before offering them for sale. But honest merchants would display their uncracked porcelain wares with signs that read, "sine cera," "without wax."—George M. Bowman in How to Succeed With Your Money

THE HOLY SPIRIT - LEADING

Years ago, when we bought bicycles for our children they came unassembled. I did not pull the parts out of the box and say, “Kids look at the picture. Now build it!” Nor did they say, “We don’t need your help we can do this our own way.” We worked together. They followed my directions, while I explained the instructions inside the box. Much of the work I did because they didn’t have the abilities necessary for many of the tasks.

Meditation

Galatians 5:16, 17—So I say, live {walk} by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want

The Bible depicts for us what a perfect life looks like in Jesus Christ. But God never said, “Okay you’ve read the story now go be like my Son.” No matter how much we want to imitate Christ, we cannot be holy by our own strength. God, knowing this, sent His Holy Spirit to counsel us in how we should live. So, how do we obtain His leading and help?

First, we must understand that to walk with the Holy Spirit means civil war. Until the day we die, our sinful nature will oppose God’s agenda for us. So it should not surprise us when we experience discouragement! Our goals and aspirations are often quite different than God’s plan for us. The sinful nature appeals to a will centered on self-gratification. Walking with the Spirit requires a will submitted to the lordship of Christ. The two are mutually exclusive. So long as we assemble our lives around our own pleasure, and ignore the Spirit’s leading, we’re not going anywhere with God. Galatians 5:19-21 shows us what results when our sin nature wins.

Second, we must understand what is important to the H.S. so we can submit to His quiet voice! The Apostle Paul tells us to use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). The Bible is a key component with which the Spirit will guide and protect us. If we want His help we must value and obey it. As Oswald Chambers shared in He Shall Glorify Me, “There is no authentic impulse of the Holy Spirit that is not wedded to the words of the Bible. To recognize this is the only way to be safe from dangerous delusions.” Suppose Henry is sleeping with Mendy and they are not married. He says, “Hey, it’s okay. We talk about God a lot. The Spirit brought us together.” No—a million times! The Spirit will never violate the Scripture to please our sin nature. God will surely judge Henry and Mendy for disobeying Him. Unless they repent, they will miss out on His blessings.

When the Holy Spirit leads us He produces in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22,23). We feel good about our lives, do not carry around guilt and we have no need to justify our behavior. Our character, attitude and conduct reflect godliness. I know which side I want to win—how about you!

Inspiration

I have a glove here in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, it can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. We are gloves. It is the Holy Spirit in us who is the hand, who does the job. We have to make room for the hand so that every finger is filled.—Corrie Ten Boom in Each New Day Christianity Today, Vol. 38, no. 1.

HOLINESS

1 Peter 1:15—But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

When I was a kid, I had a hard time telling the truth. I would often resort to lying because I thought I could avoid being punished. My dad came home one day and found out that once again I was fibbing. Now as a parent I understand how my deceit was detected, then as an eight-year old I could never figure out how my parents knew I was guilty!

Faced with the reality I’d been caught, I admitted my error. Dad took his belt off and I grimly awaited the spanking I’d earned. But this was not to be a normal punishment. For next he removed his shirt. He picked up a paddle once used for bouncing a rubber ball on a string. Then he explained how much it hurt him that I would lie. He said that this time he was going to take my punishment for me. He then handed me the paddle, bent over the bed and told me to hit him. I couldn’t do it. He implored me again--firmly leaving no doubt that I was to administer the blows to his back.

After two blows to his back I was crying harder than I had ever wept for any pain I’d ever felt. I also learned a profound lesson that permanently changed my outlook toward lying.

God looked down from heaven discouraged with a world bent on doing evil. He sent His Son to earth so that we might see what holiness looked like. Jesus chose every time to do what pleased His Father. Innocent of any wrong doing, He willingly allowed Himself to be killed in the most shameful manner to rescue us from our most shameful condition. Why? Because God loves us. He loves us! He loves ussssssss!

If my reason not to sin is to be good, I will sin. My selfish nature is too strong. Holiness does not come by hating sin. Holiness comes by loving God. Why would I want to do what is wrong and hurt the One who sacrificed His Son to save me? That is truly something to think about . . . in reveration.

Inspiration

The warfare is not against sin; we can never fight against sin: Jesus Christ deals with sin in Redemption. The conflict is along the line of turning our natural life into a spiritual life, and this is never done easily, nor does God intend it to be done easily. It is done only by a series of moral choices. God does not make us holy in the sense of character; He makes us holy in the sense of innocence, and we have to turn that innocence into holy character by a series of moral choices.—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest

HESITANT

Have you ever gone through periods in your life where you knew what God wanted you to do but were afraid to obey because of circumstances? I have a friend whose marriage is going badly. He knows from the counsel he has received and from God’s Word that divorce is wrong and in his situation, not an option. But his wife treats him badly and he is tired of trying to improve their relationship. He is reluctant to apply any advice he receives. He says it is time he took care of himself and was free to do what he wants to do. So he filed for divorce and bought a new car thinking now his problems should end.

King Zedekiah was the weak ruler of Judah. After hundreds of years of Judah’s rebelliousness, God finally had enough and led King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army to attack His wayward people. It was during this period that the prophet Jeremiah ministered. Many times Zedekiah called the prophet into his presence to hear the Word of the Lord. Faithfully, Jeremiah relayed God’s will and plan. Finally in Jeremiah 38:15, “Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, ‘If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.’”

All the king had to do was follow God’s instruction to surrender! Instead, he hesitated for two and a half years, while Jerusalem was under siege. In verse 19 of chapter 38, we learn the source of Zedekiah’s unwillingness to obey God. “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.” Despite God’s assurances of protection, the king wavered and wobbled. In the end, he fled and was captured. In the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath, King Nebuchadnezzar pronounced sentence, putting Zedekiah’s sons to death in the sight of their father and then putting out the eyes of Zedekiah before binding him with bronze shackles and sending him to Babylon. The worst nightmare of a hesitant king was fulfilled.

There is a saying, “He who hesitates is lost.” But what makes us vacillate and refrain from doing what God asks? Perhaps it is fear that God cannot deliver what He promises or that we will not obtain what we want if we do God’s will. Further distilled, our hesitancy reflects a flawed understanding of eternity. We see time through distorted lens and act or refrain from acting to please our fleeting needs. In contrast, our timeless Father knows what is best for us.

If you know what God wants you to do—do it! Never sacrifice obedience with its eternal blessings for temporary desires that in the end will not matter! May the God Who makes all things possible give you the strength to trust and obey.

Inspiration

One day in July, a farmer sat in front of his shack, smoking his corncob pipe. Along came a stranger who asked, “How's your cotton coming?” “Ain't got none,” was the answer. “Didn't plant none. ‘Fraid of the boll weevil.” “Well, how's your corn?” “Didn't plant none. ‘Fraid o’ drought.”

“How about your potatoes?” “Ain't got none. Scared of tater bugs.” The stranger finally asked, “Well, what did you plant?” “Nothin’,” answered the farmer. “I just played it safe.”—James S. Hewett in Illustrations Unlimited

HEROIC

2Chronicles 31:18—They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.

Jeff plays the game of soccer. He is not an impact player who by great talent can take over a game. In fact in many ways he is limited. But he gives all he has. At a fifty-plus age in a league where most players are in their late 30’s and early forties, he is quite amazing. You see he never stops looking for an opportunity to score. By sheer persistence he manages occasionally to do what better players fail to accomplish—put the ball in the net! In my book his play is the stuff of the heroic.

The dictionary defines heroes as persons noted for courageous feats or nobility of purpose, especially those who risked or sacrificed their lives. We tend to be mesmerized by the spectacular and worship the incredible. Yet in some ways the heroic person is the one who makes the ordinary the extraordinary.

Do you ever get tired of the regular rhythm of life? Does it seem like your relationship with God is about as exciting as canoeing down an irrigation canal? Then stop paddling. Recognize there is a current at work.

If your idea of a heroic follower of God is the crowd-enthralling evangelist, the talented pastor, or the monastery monk, is it possible you have defined importance by vocation? While any and all of those people may be heroes, in God’s eyes the heroic follower is the faithful follower. Nowhere does the Bible pronounce the job as the focal point. It is the relationship we hold with God throughout the work that we do that He values. Therefore, you are heroic by getting up each morning and dedicating the day in prayer to the Lord; by taking joy in mopping the floor or cooking or teaching or selling or building because in your heart burns a never ending blaze to know and please God.

Solomon wrote, in Proverbs 20:6, "Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?" Don’t let the blur of time rob you of the joy of the eternal. Your relationship to God will be seasoned with joy if you see the ordinary as your opportunity to make a statement. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1Corinthians 10:31). That’s heroic.

Inspiration

It would be a terrible thing to lose the sense of the heroic, because the sense of duty is only realized by the sense of the heroic. Our Lord calls us to joyful, heroic lives, and we must never relax.—Oswald Chambers in Grow Up Into Him

HELPLESSNESS

June 17, 2001, Father’s Day—a day I’ll not forget. Barbie left a message on our answering machine. Dad fell off a cliff. He broke his neck, knocked his two front teeth out and was listed in serious condition in Providence Hospital, Anchorage.

June 20, 2001, Dad’s birthday—still alive miraculously at the tender age of 69. I can tell you just hearing his weak voice was a blessing. On the phone he shared what happened. While putting on his waders to fish he lost his balance and toppled down a 35-foot escarpment onto the rocks and shallow water of Peter’s Creek. The fall knocked him unconscious but the cold Alaskan water revived him. He had the presence of mind to hold his breath while the stream carried him toward the silt-laden Kahiltna River.

One of the men he brought to fish watched from above as Dad floated spread eagle and face down towards certain death. Below, five fishermen were casting for Salmon. They could not see his body in the murky creek nor could Dad move his arms or legs. From above the observer screamed instructions to them where to position themselves to catch him. By God’s grace Dad floated into the chest of the unseeing last man who then pulled him to safety. Slowly he regained feeling in all his limbs.

Meditation

2 Corinthians 4:7—But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us . . . Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Tomorrow Dad undergoes surgery to fuse fractured bones. Today, he shares an analogy that came to him last night when sleep was beyond reach. Jesus is the One Who stands in the river to save us. The person helplessly floating towards death and an appointment with a holy God is the sinner. The man yelling from the cliff is the Christian calling out instructions on how to get to Christ. No, Dad’s not dwelling on hospital bills, or what will become of the lodge this summer. He’s still finding ways to share Jesus with a renewed appreciation of life. That’s the power of grace unlocking the jaws of tragedy.

Helplessness is the birthright of humanity. Adam and Eve’s disobedience infected us all with a sin-condition. Thank God He loves us! No matter how high the fall, how deep, fast-moving, or cold the river, Jesus is there waiting to pull us out—if we’ll let Him!

Inspiration

When a man has been hard hit and realizes his own helplessness he finds that it is not a cowardly thing to turn to Jesus Christ, but the way out which God has made for him.—Oswald Chambers in Baffled to Fight Better

HELL

To this day I remember a painting that hung in our home when we lived in Korea. It was a graphic depiction of a lake of fire filled with people grotesquely suffering. It was an attention-getter which brought curious people into a conversation with my dad that for some led to salvation. I wish I had that painting today—I’d hang it in my office. Sure, it would offend people. But I would rather upset someone with the reality of God’s upcoming judgment than withhold information that could result in their eternal suffering.

Ancient Jews referred to a place that followed death as the pit (shachath). David wrote in Psalm 55:23, “But You, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption . . . According to Parson’s Bible Dictionary the word sheol occurs 65 times in the Old Testament and signifies the underworld: a designation for the dead from which there is no return; a place without praise of God; a place where the wicked were sent to be punished; and, a place from which the righteous were rescued. Job 26:6 state, “Sheol is naked before God; Abaddon (destruction) lies uncovered. Abaddon was the name of the angel of destruction who guarded the bottomless pit, the abyss, a place mentioned nine times in Scripture.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary describes three words used in the New Testament to signify hell: Hades, Gehenna and Tartarus. Hades is synonymous with sheol. It is the name of the Greek god of the underworld and the underworld itself. It is described as a prison, with gates and bars and locks located below. (See Mat. 11:23, 16:18; 1 Peter 3:19, Revelation 1:18). Tartarus, (used only in 2 Pe. 2:4), describes where God sent angels that sinned. It is a dark, miserable, subterranean region the ancient Greeks regarded as a place where the most wicked spirits were sent to be punished. Gehenna is a valley outside Jerusalem where human sacrifice to the Ammonite god Molech was conducted. It was associated with evil and became a common word to connote future punishment. Jesus said, “But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna” (Mat.5:22).

Meditation

Revelation 20:14,15—Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The Bible is crystal clear that all people will one day be judged. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment”—Hebrews 9:27. Isaiah quoted God’s warning against those who rebelled against Him—“their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched and they will be loathsome to all mankind” (Isa.66:24). Revelation 20:11-15 teaches that a day will come when God will sit on His great white throne and cast judgment on all mankind. People ask how a loving God could sentence anyone to such a horrible fate. Billy Graham wrote, “God will never send anybody to hell. If man goes to hell, he goes by his own free choice. Hell was created for the devil and his angels, not for man. God never meant that man should go there.” Dante Alighieri wrote in the thirteenth century, “If you insist on having your own way, you will get it. Hell is the enjoyment of your own way forever.”

Why does God permit anyone to experience eternal torment in bubbling liquid? Only God the Creator can speak for God the Judge. We cannot be God’s defender, we are always His advocate. Jesus commands us to share the gospel and the value of the good news is heightened by the reality of the bad news! Our perfect Savior didn’t just talk about nice things. He warned people that the consequence of their evil was impending judgment. To fail to point out the cost of sin and rejecting Jesus Christ reveals a blatant lack of concern. Hell is hell! If we cannot see it for its consuming fury than perhaps we miss the gospel for its overriding love. Therefore not to speak of hell is a hellacious way to treat people.

Inspiration

Hell is the satisfaction of all sin.—Oswald Chambers in The Philosophy of Sin

HEAVEN

Philippians 3:20,21—But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.

Stephen wanted to talk and pray with me. Normally, he wants to pray with his mom before he goes to sleep. So I had a pretty good idea his biggest theological fear was gnawing again on his seven-year old mind. You see he’s afraid he’s not going to heaven. Compounding that anxiety is an inability to conceptualize heaven (sound human?), combined with the concern that eternity could be profoundly boring—after all, forever is a long time!

So, we had a good discussion again about the fact that he’s placed his faith in Jesus and that God deeply loves him. I probably should have read to him what Jesus said to His disciples. "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14). We talked about how wonderful heaven is going to be. What a blast it will be to fly, to worship God in the presence of mighty angels, to not have to be afraid of anything including nightmares!

I know a place where there will be no more sickness or need to comfort those burdened with heavy loss. No gnawing guilt will exist for sins of the past. There won’t be headlines announcing moral failure at the highest levels or disasters that have claimed the lives of thousands. People won’t say mean things. Work will be divinely rewarding. Traffic jams will not exist. There won’t be any cavities and the crowns sure won’t go on teeth!

It won’t matter if the streets are paved in gold—my knees will never hurt again on any surface. My lowly body is going to be transformed! And I can’t wait! How about you—are you pumped that life on earth is just a nanobeep! It won’t be long before spectacular will really be awesome. What makes heaven so great? Emmanuel—God with us, forever! Truly something to think about . . . in reveration.

Inspiration

We are so much taken up with what God wants us to be here that we have forgotten heaven. There are one or two conceptions about heaven that have to be traced back to their home to find out whether they have their root in our faith or whether they are foreign flowers. One of these is the heaven is a state and not a place; that is only a partial truth, for there cannot be a state without a place.—Oswald Chambers in The Place of Help

HEART-MISSING

Part of me is lost and I don’t like it. If I could skip this day in time or have never lived it I know I would be the worse for it but at least I would not sense this absence that came too fast and . . . heartrending and heartbreaking are too strong in meaning for what I’m feeling. Perhaps in this poignant period a more apt description is heartmissing. The good news is she is only three and a half hours away. The bad news is there are 206 miles between us.

Sarah and I drove from Newberg to Seattle. I gave her the speech I’ve pondered giving and she wrote each point down. What do you tell your daughter as she leaves home to start college? In life reflecting, two areas prominently emerge—my relationship with my heavenly Father and my relationship with people. If my precious girl can learn from my mistakes and pursue what I know to be gold, I know God will bless her.

The key for me in finding God so as to know Him, is feeding daily in His Word. Scripture breaths wisdom, God’s view on life, and the essence and substance of faith, without which, existence would be meaningless. The other key is communication. Most of my life when I’ve prayed God seemed distant and the whole act mechanical. But when I learned to praise and tell Him how much I love Him, I felt His presence far more often. Prayer walking further energized our fellowship and opened up new opportunities for praying with the Holy Spirit.

People are complex and every relationship unique. But there are principles that clearly assist forming friendships and working with others. First, humility is the key to earning trust. If I walk in pride, I carry my own agenda and the reward is cheap. If I am willing to die to myself then it seems that others are willing to live with me. Second, serving is the water that truly replenishes thirst. God set the tone by leading Jesus to wash the feet of His followers so they would understand the central importance of looking at the needs of others before their own were covered. Third, listening is the medicine that solves many ailments.

Meditation

2 Corinthians 7:6-7—But God, Who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

On this cloudy, chilly day, Sarah received my safety message and other personal requests. The CD played Randy Stonehill’s sang, “Song for Sarah.” And all too quickly the drive ended at her Seattle Pacific dorm. We carried in her things and I met one of her roommates. Finally in the Subaru, I told her how much I love her, how proud I am of her and fought back the tears that would not be dammed. As she walked away I understood from the other end how my parents felt when I left home.

Heartmissing is the heaviness of absence and the presence of the unknown. In this turn on the road home I’m reminded that I experience more than just the letting go of my daughter. Heartmissing is the longing to be with God in the relationship He intended from the very beginning to be perfect and have no end. Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

Hebrews 11:16-17—Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

HEARTLESS

’ve never had a ministry to the poor. Few of my friends are financially needy and those I work and live around are middle or upper class families. While my finances have often been sparse, compared to most in the world I am incredibly well off. So, I wondered what it would be like to spend so many hours each week helping those at the center of ever-converging problems from which escape seems bleak and overwhelming. I’m finding joy. It is richly rewarding to share Christ with people so destitute they have nothing to hide and therefore are brutally honest. I’m making new friends with those grateful for prayer, a listening ear and the chance to vent frustrations. I’m humbled by how good I really have it. I’m confronted by the challenge of loving those who reek and those who know what is right to do but will make the wrong choices anyway . . . I’m amazed by daily miracles, reduced to tears by unimaginable cruelties and confounded by an increasing sense of frustration. I cannot believe how many people come through our doors that have attended churches for years and have no idea how they will get into heaven let alone get help on earth.

Can you imagine Jesus telling a poor single mother, “You can only come to Me once a year for food.”! I once pastored a church where we set rules regarding how much help we would give people. I’m embarrassed when I think of that now. We made rules to keep our organization from being overwhelmed by the needy. Maybe that’s the problem—we need to be overwhelmed! There’s something amazingly healthy about coming destitute to God to help the destitute. Our faith blossoms when we let go of what we cling to and let God set the agenda. Our generosity grows when our trust is in Him and not in our policy and resources.

In Acts 4 we read of believers selling land and houses and giving the proceeds to the apostles to help anyone in need. I don’t know anyone who would sell his or her land or a second house for me if I were in desperate need. The reason is that today we fix the responsibility for direness on the individual hurting instead of taking responsibility corporately to alleviate the problem. We’ve lost the sense of adventure and utter excitement the early church had in embracing new believers into their midst with a mindset to help any and all who joined them. Now we view with suspicion anyone who comes through the door looking or acting needy. We’ve become so concerned about “protecting ourselves” that to the hurting we are heartless.

Meditation

Lamentations 4:3,4—Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. Because of thirst the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.

I’m not saying we must help everyone. We need the Lord’s discernment and leading. However, the Bible is clear that we have an obligation to help those who are of the household of faith. Once years ago, I tried to get my sister minimal financial help from the large church she attended. I knew the pastor on the phone from whom I was seeking assistance. Sadly, he treated me like some annoying stranger. The staff of that church made my sister feel like a second-class citizen. I think of that experience often now. The world is not stupid. How will it find the gospel attractive if we repel the unattractive? The One Who became poor to make us rich should never find us heartless. Let it be said of us, “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.” (2 Corinthians 9:13)

Inspiration

God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord.—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest

HEART 2

Recently for my quiet time I read from 1 Samuel 24. It records the story of King Saul in pursuit of David whom he viewed as a threat to his throne. In God’s providence, David was hiding with his men deep in a cave that Saul entered alone. David had an easy opportunity to kill Saul and was encouraged to do so by his men but he refrained from killing the ruler the Lord anointed. After Saul left the cave, David followed and shouted, “My lord the king!” Getting Saul’s attention, he alerted him to the fact that God had put him in his hands and yet he spared his life. David strongly challenged King Saul even reminding him of an old proverb, “From evildoers come evil deeds.” Saul was so stricken by David’s words, that he ended up crying. He confessed that David was the better man and pronounced a blessing upon him as well as recognition that David would indeed be given the throne and would be a successful leader. Shortly thereafter, the king departed with his army for home but David and his men went back to their stronghold.

After securing blessing from the king why didn’t David follow him and go back home? I believe David knew Saul’s heart inclined toward evil and that he could not be trusted. Sure enough, in 1 Samuel 26, Saul and his troops again went hunting after David to kill him.

Meditation

Proverbs 21:2—All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart

Our hearts represent who we are. David had a good heart and went on to become Israel’s most famous and powerful king. Sadly, Saul only gave part of his heart to God causing the Lord to grieve that He ever made him king. Perhaps this is why Solomon, David’s son, penned the proverb above—he knew the reason he inherited the throne was because of the strong moral principles of his God-fearing dad.

Dan Berg emailed me a letter he mailed to his daughter Cole, who recently joined the Marines. I’ve edited it slightly so this devotional will not be too long. Let me invite you to read and profit from Dan’s insight. His words speak about prayer and the heart.

Cole, I went fishing with Dana and it was cold. As we were out on the lake in his raft it started to snow but we kept at it. After four hours I had pulled in seven big trout and Dana caught one small one. As we sat there in his raft with the snow coming down Dana started to get discouraged, so he began to ask me how it was I was catching all these fish. I told him I started praying more when Gabe went into the Marines and even more so when you went in and I find myself praying about everything—even catching fish. Dana shared that he had not been praying as much as he used to and so he looked up and prayed. Then he changed the fishing pole he was using and on his second cast he pulled in a trophy trout! It got me thinking that sometimes prayer first must change the way we do things so it can change the things we do . . . Cole I have to ask the Lord often to change my heart so I can see better what He wants me to say or do. David said in Psalm 139:23,24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Something to think about . . . in reveration.

Inspiration

No man can do wrong in his heart and see right afterward. If I am going to approach the holy ground, I must get into the right frame of mind—the excellency of a broken heart.—Oswald Chambers in The Shadow of an Agony

HEART

Proverbs 4:23—Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

This morning, as per my custom, I placed a tea bag of green tea into a plastic mug, and poured over it boiling water. The cup is equipped with a black top to reduce the chance of me spilling. I don’t want tea decorating the papers strewn across my desk, nor do I need tea-stained clothing.

Suppose a small crack developed in my mug. It would be annoying wouldn’t it—to contend with a cup that leaked? If holes appeared, I would either have to plug them somehow or throw the mug away.

When I choose to follow Jesus, my intent is that He should have my whole mug—my heart. When He fills me with His Holy Spirit and teaches me through His word, His desire is that I am holy as He is holy. For my heart to function as God intended, I must obey His will!

To give my heart to anything that is contrary to God’s will, is like puncturing my mug. The more leaks I spring from selfish desires and ungodly behavior, the less able and willing God is to fill me with Himself. How can I know or serve God if He cannot entrust Himself to me?

God said about the Israelites Moses led out of Egypt, "For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways.’ So I declared on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest’" (Psalm 95:10,11). If only they could have been like King David who prayed, "Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name" (Psalm 86:11).

Give me an undivided heart O Lord! Don’t let the cravings of my flesh turn my core into a leaking vessel of shame! Create in me a wholehearted love for You that gives off the aroma of a joyful attitude and blesses Your palate with the rich taste of godliness that comes from obedient service and a humble spirit. Fill my cup Lord, for Your glory.

Inspiration

The knowledge and vision of God is dependent entirely on a pure heart. Character determines the revelation of God to the individual. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."—Oswald Chambers in Biblical Ethics

The heart's testimony is stronger than a thousand witnesses.—Turkish proverb

HEALTH

Proverbs 3:7,8—Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Delnora Erickson left earth on Monday morning. She was 91 years old when she completed her race to meet Jesus at the finish line. She was an inspiring example of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. This amazing woman never lost her thirst to grow closer to her Heavenly Father. Even as an octogenarian her creative mind would not find a hammock to gracefully swing on old lessons. She launched a fresh study of the Old Testament to identify every reference to Christ. Often she would gleefully share her findings oblivious to the fact she was repeating herself, and what did it matter she was excited! I recall many times talking with her and she would ask, "Do you think Jesus will return before we die?" Then with sparkling eyes she’d exclaim, "Oh, I think He’s coming soon!"

This beloved artist and writer possessed an insatiable appetite for the Bible. Who but God knows how many lives she touched through her long life as a Sunday School teacher, Bible Study leader, published author of children’s stories and devoted sharer of Christ.

Most amazing was the quality of life she led. She was hardly ever ill. Despite the deaths of two of her daughters one to diabetes and the other to cancer, and the wretched suffering of her pastor-husband in his final years, her own health remained vibrant. She shunned evil. She was not perfect. Yet, she feared the Lord and like a child sought to live a life pleasing in her Father’s eyes. To be physically healthy the body must effectively resist germs and disease. To be spiritually healthy, the spirit must withstand and overcome sin. One may take vitamins, antioxidants and other vital supplements to keep the body sound. But the key to attaining spiritual health is to fellowship with Jesus—the Living Water, the Bread of life. Though the body will eventually fail us, the spirit in love with Christ will never see decay. She knew this.

Today her spirit soars in the presence of the One to whom her life was devoted. I am glad my children could learn and be blessed by the godly heritage of their great-grandmother. Grandma, we will miss you. We love you. Thank you for your example of what it means to be healthy. Hug my mom for me. And yes, we’ll be home soon! Won’t it be great to all be there together with Jesus. Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

Health means the balance between my physical life and external nature, and is maintained purely by a sufficient fighting vitality within against things outside.—Oswald Chambers in The Shadow of an Agony

HEALING

Matthew 8:2,3—A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said, “Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

I recently engaged in a study of Jesus healing in the gospels as part of preaching through the book of Matthew. Healing was a huge part of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus healed people because He loved them and out of obedience to the mission God gave Him. His miracles brought glory to God from those who witnessed or heard about His actions with the exception of the religious leaders who resented Him for healing on the Sabbath.

Every time the sick or demon-possessed are mentioned in the NT in the presence of Jesus, He healed them. Jesus touched all kinds of needy people: Jews, Gentiles, old, young, those born with afflictions, those stricken w/ illness later in life, the demon-possessed etc. (Mat.4:23,24; 9:35,12:15, 14:35,36; 18:1,2)

Whenever healing did not take place in the gospels it was caused either by a lack of faith (Mat. 17:14-18; Mark 6:5,6) or a lack of prayer (Mark 9:25-29). Scripture further reveals that God’s will was not always to bring healing—(2Chronicles 16:12,13; 2Samuel 12:14-18; 2Corinthians 12:7-10).

Jesus commanded His followers to heal those they encountered who were sick or demon-possessed in the towns they entered (Mat.10:1,8). After He ascended to heaven, healing continued to be a significant aspect of the Apostles ministry. They were effective because He gave them His authority. Healing always takes place under the context of God’s authority. Nowhere does Scripture say God has pulled His authority from us so that we cannot experience His power today!

One of the most potent ways we can witness to people in our community is to minister to those who are sick in the powerful name of Jesus. Is it possible that we do not pray for others to be healed because we are afraid God might not respond? Praying with someone for healing can be a tremendous expression of love. If the Holy Spirit gives us the freedom to pray for someone afflicted we should do so. Whether or not the healing takes place is not up to us but to God. I prayed for my mother to be healed and she died. I prayed for my son to be healed and God miraculously continues to keep him alive. While I may not always understand God’s plan or purpose I can confidently rest assured that He knows what is best.

There are compelling reasons why Jesus healed all who came to Him. We need to follow His example. It is easy to criticize the Political Correctness (PC) movement. Yet, are we guilty of emphasizing Spiritual Correctness (SC)? "Lord if you are willing" is the pious prayer of the saint for the stricken. But often I wonder if that prayer could really be translated, "Lord, I don’t want to look bad, I don’t want to let this person down and I certainly don’t want You to look weak, so if this person isn’t healed, obviously You were not willing." This is hardly the stuff of faith! Are you willing to trust God to work through you to bring healing in the lives of those hurting around you? Then boldly go before the throne and ask! God may use you to reach a town, a city, a nation whose real sickness is the need to know Jesus!

Inspiration

When God does not heal it is time we got down to close quarters with Him and asked Him why. There is a deep lesson behind; we cannot lay down a general law for everyone, we can only find out the reason by going to God.—Oswald Chambers in The Servant As His Lord

HARDNESS

Vanadium stared at the brawny sweat-laden arms of Dowson as he slammed the pick repeatedly into the soil. All she wanted was a nice hole. But he was getting nowhere. Finally, frustrated and tired he motioned for her to come outside. “It’s no use! This hill is made of granite. Are you sure we can’t put this feeder somewhere else?”

“No! I want it right here” she stubbornly insisted. She threw down her glass that shattered, splattering Martini across a thirsty ground. She was about to say something snide when he threw up his hands and turned away and in so doing awakened an old memory. It was thirty years ago on this same day her father quietly closed the door and led two frightened children away from a screaming mother. He gave up living with a contentious wife who refused to stop drinking and badly abused them. The last memory Vanadium had of her was a glass smashing against a closed door.

Tears formed and began a downward journey. The sweet little girl who sang to Jesus, the studious teen who inspired others by her faithful love for God, the young bride praised by a church full of friends had somehow become like her mother!

Meditation

Hebrews 3:7,8a, 12—So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts . . . See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

(Two years later) Vanadium Denison* speaks to a class of young married couples. Her eyes sparkle, her voice is gentle and they can only marvel at the transformation. They listen closely to words born from lessons learned. Hardness cannot possess a heart by storming it. It wins by subtle steps. It misleads thoughts and then pampers pride so that it cannot admit to being wrong. It establishes habits that feed an eager flesh. It disdains as stale and irrelevant truth. Soon a diet of soap operas replaces the hour of prayer. The office gossip becomes more tasty than God’s Word. Hardness welcomes compromise like some long-lost brother. Social drinks expand to stashing bottles. Sharing about the Lord becomes taboo for He might offend her liberated friends. Going to church is not fulfilling for hardness finds the faults of others and twists them. Like parched ground that will not give, hardness gains strength by drought. My friends, if you want to be like Jesus you can’t live like Judas.

Inspiration

Watch spiritual hardness, if ever you have the tiniest trace of it, haul up everything else till you get back your softness to the Spirit of God.—Oswald Chambers in Run Today’s Race

*Fictitious person

HAPPINESS

James 4:4—You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

If our pursuit in life is to be happy, James wrote words that scorch our common bounds of decency. What’s so bad about liking the world? We want life to be a certain way; circumstances to align favorably; relationships to mature smoothly. We enter a dangerous time of year. Behind the surface clatter of commercialism is a much more subtle danger—the god of pleasure we call Happiness. Is God against our being happy? That would be ludicrous. He put us on earth to enjoy life—not to be miserable. The danger is when we replace our love for God with an infatuation for whatever the world calls pleasing. There is a happiness that comes with joy in Jesus regardless of circumstances and there is a happiness that demands self-satisfaction. The former renders peace the latter a haunted mien.

Avoid falling prey to the siren of Happiness whose sweet notes would tell you what you must have and do to be content. Instead, take cheer in knowing Jesus. Let your happiness be in knowing the Son whose love for You meant His hanging on dressed timber because a "happy" crowd delighted to be rid of His convicting message. "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

Inspiration

Thousands of people are happy without God in this world, but that kind of happiness and peace is on a wrong level. Jesus Christ came to send a sword through every peace that is not based on a personal relationship to Himself. He came to put us right with God that His own peace might reign.—Oswald Chambers in The Servant as His Lord

HABITS

1 Corinthians 9:26,27—Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

The sun was blinding as it reflected off the snow on the high plateau on which Denver sits. As I got into the car I wondered what it would be like driving without sunglasses. Automatically I reached up to grab the clutch that switches the car from park into drive. Instead the windshield was coated with cleansing fluid and the wipers did their dance across the glass. Oh! The rental car is not like my Ford Taurus. The clutch for the automatic transmission sits below and to my right. For the next two days I laugh as I continuously turn on the wipers—oh the power of habit!

When Jesus Christ becomes our Lord, we expectantly look for Him to change our lives and He does but not without our help. That foul language that punctuates our speech, the cigarette we naturally grab for, the temper that flashes to the surface with volcanic regularity . . . these habits do not immediately vanish when we climb into the vehicle with our Savior to drive where He wants us to go. We must make the conscious effort to say no to whatever is not right, to embrace that which pleases God. It takes time, effort, patience and faith to build godly habits. God wants us to be holy. We must be willing to make those decisions and take the heroic actions that result in obedience to the will of our Lord.

As I review my relationship with God I have found certain habits are indispensable.

1. Daily time invested in God’s Word. If I don’t read/study/meditate in the Bible each day, I miss a spiritual meal—holy nutrition. What is amazing is I may eat from the word today and not feel nourished. But a month later, the verses I read today the Holy Spirit may bring to mind exactly when I need them!

2. Daily time invested in prayer. If I don’t pray I can count on the fact that my stress level will go higher, my day will be more frustrating and I will feel disconnected from God. Conversely, if I pray, the trials that arise seem less annoying, I’m able to encourage others by my own uplifted spirit and I feel more in touch with the Lord.

3. Weekly accountability. Every week I give a grade to men I trust for how I did the last week in terms of my thought-life/moral purity. They in turn share how they did. Knowing I will be held accountable for my behavior reinforces my urge to live wisely.

4. Balance. Getting the right amount of sleep, spending quality time with my family, keeping the hours at work sane, all serve to help me grow! Without working to maintain balance chaos enters like the unwanted weeds in my garden.

5. Worship. There is something incredibly uplifting about gathering regularly with other Christians to fellowship and celebrate God. Without worship the very air I breathe seems stale.

I’m sure there are numerous other things that could be added to the list. The point is without establishing these essentials my spiritual life is as good as four-week old milk. By the grace of God, fight to establish what will deepen your love for God. By His mercy, resist anything that keeps you from pleasing your Savior! He’s your candoit!

Inspiration

. . . when we are born again, God does not give us a fully fledged series of holy habits, we have to make them; and the forming of habits on the basis of God’s supernatural work in our souls is the education of our spiritual lives.—Oswald Chambers in Grow Up Into Him