Reveration

Test

2010-10-18T22:24:00.001-07:00

test

Maria

2010-10-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Meditation
1 Samuel 2:6-8—The LORD brings death and gives life; He sends [some] to Sheol, and He raises [others] up. The LORD brings poverty and gives wealth; He humbles and He exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the garbage pile. He seats them with noblemen and gives them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; He has set the world on them.

Every person has a story. Command Sergeant Major Loera and I walked beneath the famous Arch in St. Louis. We were looking around at the different venues when a woman walked up and invited us inside the theater where she worked. As soon as the movie about making the Arch finished, she slipped us two free tickets and sent us to watch the Lewis and Clark film. She repeatedly thanked us for our service touching us with her generosity.

The next day, I returned to the Arch from our hotel to give Maria a small gift to thank her for her kindness. Later I asked her to tell me her story. She protested that her life was boring but thankfully shared anyway. Maria was born in Red Bud, Illinois, on November 19, 1954. At the age of sixteen, she was forced to leave home to find work and a place of her own. In 1974, she married a man who sadly turned out to be an abusive alcoholic. The day after her husband hit her son in a drunken rage and sent him flying across the room, Maria escaped with her children to stay three months with her pastor and his wife in a room they prepared for her. Her marriage lasted just under ten years.

On April 17, 1995, while at work Maria received a call from the hospital—the call every parent dreads. A nurse told her that her youngest son Tim was admitted for treatment but that he was okay. But each time she asked about her daughter the nurse would not answer. Maria knew her seventeen year-old Angela was with Tim and had a bad premonition. Just three months earlier, Angela told her mom about a reoccurring dream about a black truck, a hill, and a glowing hand that reached out to her. She was afraid to see what was beyond the hill and to take the hand for fear she would not see her mom again. Maria told her if the hand was offered and she wanted to go she should take it.

A sovereign Father prepared His children for a difficult time. Angela and her brother Tim were passengers in a black truck. The driver was young and foolishly speeding on a country road when he lost control. His pickup launched off a hill and rolled three times killing him and Angela. Somehow, both Tim and Angela’s boyfriend survived. Tim held his sister’s arm as her pulse expired.

When Maria notified her boss of her daughter’s death, he told her if she missed a day of work, she would be absent without leave (AWOL). Incredulous, she responded that she would be gone all week regardless of what he did. Fortunately, another employee heard the conversation and reported it to the supervisor who immediately called and apologized to Maria. Then he gave her a month off with pay! This incident seems to capture her life—Maria suffers adversity, responds with courage and receives grace from God to continue! Her joy meter stays lit. She is a woman who makes everyone around her better.

If you would like to take a moment and encourage this humble woman for being a light that honors God, you may write her at grannyohms5@hotmail.com. I suspect she would love to hear from you and I think you’ll make a new Illinois friend.

Inspiration
Love sweetens pains. And when a Christian loves God, he can suffer for His sake, joyfully and courageously.—Brother Lawrence & Frank Laubach in Practicing His Presence

Disturbed

2010-10-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Jed is disturbed by the actions and beliefs of people who call themselves Christians and he disdains the notion of putting his faith in the Lord. Yet, for as argumentative as he is, he still loves to engage in conversation about God and what the Bible says. Jed is sort of an odd bird. People don’t tend to get along with him. I found early on that his mouth goes far beyond where my ears want to go and he doesn’t take hints real well. But the Lord began to convict me for my lack of patience with Jed. Rather than engage him in conversation, I was too quick to try and avoid him. I had to learn to put aside my agenda and listen. Gradually, he began to open up about things that caused him pain. Because I took time to befriend him, he went out of his way to help me in my job. The day will come when I believe Jed will give his heart to Jesus. I suspect most of his arguing is a smokescreen to avoid having to yield his life to the Lord.

Meditation
Mark 6:19,20—So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, because Herod was in awe of John and was protecting him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very disturbed, yet would hear him gladly.

It would be interesting to find out what John the Baptist thought of King Herod. Herod threw him in prison because his wife Herodias wanted him dead. This was because John told Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (6:18). Yet the sinner admired the saint and took the time to engage him in conversation. Who knows what the two of them talked about behind cell walls? Even though the truth greatly bothered him, Herod evidently looked forward to his talks with the prophet.

Do we go out of our away to avoid sharing truth with those who disturb us or seem bent on sinning? As best we can tell, Herod rejected John’s message but that did not stop Jesus’ cousin from sharing. If God gave up on people because they were disturbed, Saul would never have become Paul. If we neglect sharing with spiritual antagonists we may avoid losing our head, but for sure we will not gain any hearts. Better to be jailed for telling the truth than to be free to say nothing.

Inspiration
Indisputably, evangelism is not a priority to most Christians. Less that one out of ten said that they have ever intentionally built a relationship with someone in the hope of being able to lead the person to Christ. Fewer than one of every five believers claimed to know a non-Christian well enough to share their faith with that individual in a context of trust and credibility.—George Barna in Growing True Disciples

Reported

2010-09-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

Meditation
John 5:15—The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

When a starved person chooses rocks over bread, there is a deeper disorder than hunger. A man was sick for 38 years. Jesus saw him and knew his situation. He asked him if he would like to get well. Instead of answering “Yes!”, the man shared a pool of woes. You can read about it in John 5:1-7.

Jesus was not interested in what didn’t work. He told the man the best eight words he had heard in almost four decades. “Get up! Pick up your bedroll and walk!” Instantly he was healed. Predictably, the religious leaders missed the awesomeness of his healing and zeroed in on why he broke Sabbath law by carrying his mat. The man explained what Jesus told him to do but he had no clue of Jesus’ identity. Later the Lord found him and said, “See you are well. Do not sin any more, so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.” Jesus, knowing all things, gave the man a warning. Why? What did He see in the man’s heart?

Why an immobilized man set free would need to curry the favor of the religious leaders who were helpless to help him for 38 years should tell us much about human nature. Evidently, what cured his illness did not touch his spirit. Instead of protecting the identity of his benefactor, the man reported Jesus to the authorities. This caused the Lord direct persecution by the Jews. It was also an eerie foreshadowing. When orchestrated by jealous religious leaders, the Jews blessed by Jesus’ miracles and teaching, eagerly yelled, “Crucify Him!”

Welcome to a mysterious pool called Bethesda. Here we discover a disease worse and more widespread than blindness, lameness or paralysis. It is atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Its victims would rather cooperate with those in control than to have faith. The miracle worker is expendable. The power of grace is blocked by the fear of disgrace. It is not the multitude that is cured when the pool is stirred it is the one who makes it first to the water.

The Bible tells us of days when children rise against their parents and vice versa. People will do what is in their self-interest in order to further their own preservation. If the authorities declare faith in Christ to be a crime, don’t be surprised when the neighbor you helped reports you. Veins too clogged for faith whisper betrayal. It happened to Jesus and He really was special. If after a spectacular healing the Master has to say, “See you are well, do not sin any more . . .” something is radically wrong!

Explanation

2010-09-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

When I was in Junior High School, Billy Graham came to Seoul, Korea. I was able to sit on a platform not far from where the speakers stood and take pictures. At the time (early 1970’s), it was the largest Billy Graham Crusade ever. Looking behind the platform there on Yoido Island there was an immense sea of people. Dr. Graham explained to this spiritually hungry audience the meaning of the gospel. He quoted John 3:16, read other Bible passages, and outlined in simple terms God’s plan of salvation. Hundreds of thousands of Koreans stood and moved forward when he gave an invitation. Countless faces were wet with tears of repentance. Perhaps heaven’s citizens stood and cheered as they watched this grand spectacle.

Meditation
Nehemiah 8:7,8—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, who were Levites, explained the law to the people as they stood in their places. They read the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.

Around 457 B.C., the Jews were spiritually impoverished. Their ancestors stopped venerating God to worship idols. They disobeyed what Moses taught to run after their own pleasures. They lost their homeland to disease, famine, and Assyrians and Babylonians who led them as captives into exile. They experienced every disaster God warned they would suffer for disobeying Him.

On the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) in the Hebrew calendar, Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform facing about 5000 people he led back to Israel. Along with thirteen Levites, he read from the Torah from daybreak until noon. When he opened up the Scripture, all the people stood and remained standing for hours.

The Hebrew-written Torah was unfamiliar to the Aramaic-speaking people. Furthermore, they did not own their own copies of the law so Moses’ writing was unfamiliar to them. Consequently, it was necessary to translate and explain the law. As the people listened and comprehended, they wept. The crowd was so convicted by God’s Words that Ezra and the Levites had to quiet them from grieving.

Most of America’s first leaders feared God. They established a framework for governance meant to honor Biblical principles and protect a young nation so that it might thrive. Over 200 years later, there is no shortage of Bibles, radio stations, or television channels that offer God’s teachings. It is easy to find a building designated for worship. But if a wooden platform were erected, and godly leaders were to read Scripture for half the day, how many people would show up, stand the entire time listening intently, and then weep by conviction for their ignorance and sin? How much disease, disaster, and spilling of blood does it take to get a nation’s attention? Until there is hunger for righteous explanation, there will always be an evil-ingested bloating.

Inspiration
For a good confession three things are necessary: an examination of conscience, sorrow, and a determination to avoid sin.—St. Alphonsus Luguori in “A Good Confession”

Compassion II

2010-09-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

Sandy sits on the iron bench bolted to the sidewalk by Prink Avenue and finishes her cell phone conversation. The yellow Walk light has not yet flashed but she doesn’t care, she is an important person and she knows the drivers will wait. Unhesitatingly, she stands and moves into the crosswalk practically daring the cars to stop. Her spiritual life is much the same. Sandy approaches God and expects that He will listen to her because she is a good person and her list of accomplishments warrants in her mind, His favor.

Meditation
Daniel 9:18—Listen, my God, and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city called by Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You based on our righteous acts, but based on Your abundant compassion.

At a time in history of national shame, the Jews desperately needed God’s kindness. Daniel understood how to appeal to his Father. He knew that petitions backed by moral accomplishments could never repair the damage done by centuries of blatant spiritual rebellion. If cedar tabernacles filled with chanted psalms could undue sin, God would not have resorted to a crude cross. Daniel based his request for help on divine compassion—the Hebrew script bearing witness to its abundance.

Is God’s action dependent on our good works? Desolation is not removed by demonstration. Biblical characters like David appealed to God’s mercy based on personal righteousness. But do we ever read God replying “You are right, I owe you favor because you have been so good.” Instead, He reveals His grandeur and in the process human puniness and insufficiency lead the appealer to understand it is mercy and compassion that lead to salvation.

God’s compassion is the sweetest nectar known to man. It calms the anxious mind. It mends sin with a stitchery of golden thread that cannot be broken. It soothes the soul of sorrow with notes of grace. It clears the clotted heart with the redeeming blood of the holiest Lamb. At least seventy-seven times Scripture specifically mentions God’s compassion to His people. It is not about us it is all about Him! Hallelujah!

Inspiration
O Lord, remove this bondage of thought, and bring peace and purity and power. Fill me this day with Thy tenderness and compassion and grace.—Oswald Chambers

Prove Yourself!

2010-09-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

Sergeant Major Cedric Moore shared with me his story as we sat in his car at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Raised in a black community in Huntsville, Alabama, he often attended church and had uncles who were pastors. But what these men preached was not what they lived. Watching “spiritual” men engage in adultery, robbery, lying and other sinful behavior caused Cedric to conclude that God must not be real.

While attending college in Birmingham, Cedric was exposed to Black Muslims who gave him literature and tapes in order to recruit him. At first he was interested but the more he investigated them the more he realized that they were just as racist as the KKK. Two years into his education but out of money, he had to drop out. But he didn’t want his mother to have to go to work to pay for his education so he joined the Army. On his dog tags he listed, “No Religious Preference.”

Stationed at Fort Bragg, several people asked Cedric to go with them to church. Most often he brushed them off wanting nothing to do with Christians. One day, frustrated and wondering what even gave people the desire to live, he said, “God if you are real You have to prove yourself to me.” Later that day, a white stranger invited him to church. Cedric told him he would not go to church with him. But then convicted by his rudeness, he called after the man, “If you have a service tonight I will go with you.” To his surprise, the man turned, smiled and said, “Great, we have a service at 7:30 and I’ll pick you up at 7:00.” Because he was a man of his word, Cedric went to church.

That night for the first time Cedric experienced interracial worship. He watched a white preacher whose face reddened as he spoke with intensity. As he listened, the pastor said, “Some of you here tonight have told God that to believe in Him He must prove Himself real to you. But if you want to know God, you must prove yourself real to Him!” Stunned by the words he knew were from heaven, he walked down the aisle and gave his life to Christ.

Meditation
Mark 15:39—When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "This man really was God's Son!"

A Roman centurion experienced an earthquake and saw inexplicable things associated with Jesus’ crucifixion. He watched the way Jesus died and concluded the Son of Man really was the Son of God. He had to come to his own conclusion. God gave him all the evidence He needed.

God is real! If we base His authenticity and therefore our willingness to believe in Him on what people do or do not do, we immediately err. God’s reality is neither verified nor falsified by people’s activity. God is real because of what He does and who He is. Cedric met Him when he quit demanding He appear. The centurion found Him when His Son quit breathing. The paradox of faith is that we have to believe stripped of our reason; make a human decision untied to humans to follow a Creator who gives us the evidence to see Him yet who remains invisible! Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Lenience

2010-08-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

Thank God we are not a heap of ashes! 1. Do you know people who believe the Old Testament God is exceedingly harsh and not the same New Testament God? 2. Have you ever done something so bad there was just no way you thought God would forgive you? 3. Do you know someone who has committed some disgusting sin and Christians will have nothing to do with that person despite his or her repentance?

Meditation
Ezekiel 18:21-22—Now if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will certainly live; he will not die. None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him. He will live because of the righteousness he has practiced.

The Hebrew word rasha translates guilty one or one hostile to God. One deserves to be smoked who blows sin in His face. God told Ezekiel that he would spare a rasha person if that person stopped sinning and lived righteously. Ezekiel is chocked full of pronouncements of punishment for depraved people, yet here is a passage of amazing leniency. It is this merciful Lover of humanity who appears throughout the writings of the poets, priests, and prophets. For an inconsistent human to label his Creator mutable is like the fool defining Wisdom.

If you answered the second question with a “yes,” this passage should jolt your thinking. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.” Don’t let Satan beat you up with guilt. Stop dissolving grace with the acid of disbelief. God’s intent is to extend grace not fire. If this were not the case Adam and Eve would be the tiniest footnotes in history for their unhealthy fruit selection. God is full of compassion. If you committed the unpardonable sin, you wouldn’t be reading this. Only if you are not confessing should you be trembling. Only if you hold on to evil should you be afraid.

For question three, if a believer will not forgive a recovering stumbler, a most troubling paradox arises: his tainted flag of legalism flies higher than God’s flag of leniency.

Ezekiel reveals a Father who wants to grant life. Some may say, “But no one could keep all of God’s statues and do what is just and right, so God is setting us up for failure.” Remember, this is exactly why He sent Jesus, to keep what we could not to fix the hopelessly broken!

Inspiration
The strongest argument for forgiveness is the alternative, a permanent state of unforgiveness.—Philip Yancey in What’s So Amazing About Grace?

Hidden

2010-08-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Meditation
Jeremiah 36:26—Then the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD had hidden them.

God told the prophet Jeremiah to take a scroll and write on it. His purpose was to communicate all the disasters He planned to inflict on Israel, Judah and other nations. His concern was that the people of Judah would repent when they heard what He was going to do and receive forgiveness. So Jeremiah dictated God’s words to Baruch, his helper, who wrote them on a scroll. Then, because he was restricted from going to the temple, he sent Baruch to read to the people. Word of the scroll’s contents reached Judean officials and they had Baruch read the scroll to them. Concerned how their evil king would react and afraid of the message, they told Baruch to go and hide with Jeremiah. Then they took the scroll and had it read to King Jehoiakim who instead of repenting burned the scroll and issued the command above.

There are some very significant lessons we can extract from this story. When God asks us to do something, we are not to question the risk of the task; find excuses, modify the command or recommend someone else; or, fear that we might suffer. Our job is to obey God. He is quite capable of using us to deliver the truth and then protecting us from those who react violently. Just as God hid Jeremiah and Baruch, He is capable of hiding us.

Is it possible we waste time worrying what enemies might do to us? Alternatively, do we smugly embrace our eternal inheritance yet ignore the reality that we have a temporal mission? Do we live as undercover Christians hoping to be left alone and unpersecuted?

It may seem like what God asked Jeremiah to do was a waste of time and energy. The king did not fear Him. The people did not repent. What was the point? Here is where we go astray. Quit looking for the point. Listen to God and trust that He knows what He is doing. If He wants to, He can hide us. He may allow us to suffer and perish—many a prophet died a horrific death. Our responsibility is not to worry about our condition but to condition ourselves to obey. Praise God, we will always be hidden under His eternal wings. No one can take what Jesus won for us and that’s something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
I place no hope in my strength, nor in my works: but all my confidence is in God my protector, who never abandons those who have put all their hope and thought in him.—Francois Rabelais

Off to the Jungle

2010-08-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

Pete and Saul left last month to visit three Segadorian missionary families working in the distant Asheninka tribe. They traveled seven hours by bus, then six hours in the back of a pick-up over a rough road, then finally three hours in a motorized canoe in drizzling rain. As Peter notes in their newsletter it was well worth the sacrifice. Why did these two men go to such lengths to visit these families? They went because they understood how important the value of encouragement is. It is not easy to get from Lima, Peru to remote jungle towns but it you want to communicate to your fellow teammates that they matter; making the effort is the right thing to do.

Meditation
Acts 11:22-24—Then the report about them reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve of the heart for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith—and large numbers of people were added to the Lord.

Antioch was about 300 miles north of Jerusalem. Whether Barnabas walked to a port city and took a boat to the port fifteen miles from Antioch or just walked overland, we can assume it took him at least a week to get to his destination. He did not have luggage with wheels so he either carried all he needed or paid to have his stuff transported. He had no phone to call ahead and arrange where to meet and chances are good he had never before met the people the church sent him to greet. From the passage above, we can assume that his presence was partly responsible for amazing church growth. Barnabas was so enthused by what God was doing in Antioch, that he went to Tarsus to find Saul and brought him back with him. For over a year they taught large numbers of believers—the first disciples to be called Christians.

Have you ever considered that one of the best forms of evangelism is encouragement? Think about it! If I am discouraged and not doing so well in ministry and someone travels 16 hours just to visit and encourage me—is it possible that I will be reenergized to serve the Lord? If a total stranger travels over 300 miles to encourage my interest in learning about Jesus — is it possible, I may conclude that the gospel is valid and indeed life changing!

Would you consider doing something with me? Stop and spend a few moments in prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone who needs encouraging. Then make the sacrifice to either travel to that person’s location (if God so leads), or write a letter (don’t email—that’s too easy), or pick up the phone and call that person and build them up. Go the extra mile to make a difference in someone’s life. Let God use you to be a soul-shiner. If we would spend more time encouraging saints, we would find a whole lot more people wanting to become saints.

Inspiration
There is a good reason why dogs are therapeutic—they use their tails to fan our hearts.

Home

2010-07-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

I was born in Colorado Springs. I can’t remember the event but my birth certificate proves the date and location. Whenever I return to the Springs I feel like my batteries are getting recharged. Does that make any sense? Somehow, being in Colorado rejuvenates my spirit and I always look forward to a visit to that state. Yet, as beautiful as the state is, if I try to get in a workout by running at that high elevation, (lack of oxygen), I am quickly winded. After just a few days, my sinuses are affected and my lips quickly chap in the dry air.

Meditation
Psalm 73:24,25—You guide me with Your counsel, and afterwards You will take me up in glory. Whom do I have in heaven but You? And I desire nothing on earth but You.

In Philippians 3:19-21, the Apostle Paul describes the enemies of the cross by stating: “Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things.” He then goes on to share:
but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

We live on earth in a temporary home. If Jesus is our Lord our longing should be to be with Him. Our best dwelling will be the place He creates for us in our redeemed bodies. If there is a lack of yearning for Him, a reluctant pining to reach home, we have a serious problem. This is not to say we cannot enjoy where we live or visit but certainly that our pleasure for any earthly place should pale in comparison to our desire to reach our permanent address. There trumps here or our love is corrupted by a spoiling of . . .

If our focus is on earthly things, we have a sick contentment and a mouth disinclined to proclaim Christ. If our eagerness is to unite with Jesus, our conversation should be expectant, pregnant with hope and shared with those whom we would never wish to miss eternal glory. Ambassadors work on behalf of their true homeland and represent the intent of their appointed leader. May those who are around us see our true allegiance and long to know the One we follow and reach the home where He is present!

Inspiration
If the disposition of the Son of God is in me, then heaven and God are my destination; if the disposition in me is not the disposition of God, my home is as obviously certain with the devil.—Oswald Chambers in The Shadow of an Agony

Forgetting

2010-07-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

Not long ago a woman walked up to me and said, “Do you remember me?” Her face looked familiar but I was at a complete loss as to her name or where I had served with her! The Indians have a proverb, “A good memory is fine—but the ability to forget is the true test of greatness.” Obviously the writer was not thinking about forgetting someone’s name unless he knew something we don’t!

Meditation
Isaiah 49:14-16—Zion says, “The LORD has abandoned me; The Lord has forgotten me!” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.”

Dan was over visiting and shared that his grandmother in an assisted living home forgets each day that she is home and asks, “Do I have a room here?” Truly that is an insightful picture of what can happen to us as we get older. So how blessed we are to commit to memory two things about God:
• He will never forget us. He did not make us to abandon us. He loves us with a permanent love—promising to abide forever with us who choose to trust in Him for our salvation!
• He will forget our sins. Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful to their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins.”

As humans, it is easy to forget names yet to remember the injustice committed by another against us. So quick we are to make commitments and then forget to do what we said we would do. We are so unlike God! Os Guinness reminds us in The Call, “Ingratitude and forgetfulness are ultimately moral rather than mental; they are the direct expression of sin.”

Dear Lord, please fortify my mind to retain what will honor you and edify others and let go of what would dishonor You or cause another to stumble. Thank You for never forgetting me, for forgiveness and for not holding my sins against me. Amen

Inspiration
Forgetting in the Divine mind is an attribute, in the human mind it is a defect, consequently God never illustrates His Divine forgetfulness by human pictures, but by pictures taken from His own creation.—Oswald Chambers in Run Today’s Race

Affliction

2010-07-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

I flew from Louisville, Kentucky to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon. My neck hurt but I suspected it was just from reading too long. The next flight was from Chicago to Portland. As I got off the plane, both my shoulders ached and I could hardly turn my head or lift my luggage. By the time I reached home, the joints in my wrists hurt. Pacing the living room at three in the morning, I wondered if perhaps this was not just some medical condition but a spiritual attack. I asked the Lord for His help and to bring healing. By that evening, the pain moved into my knees to the point that I could hardly walk. My parents urged me to go to the emergency room. I called a retired Navy Seal who served as a corpsman and he offered advice and then joined my family in praying for me.

Meditation
Psalm 4:1—Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

On Friday, I visited a doctor and a chiropractor. Both concluded that a virus probably was responsible for the acute pain. It will take days before blood work comes back but by late in the afternoon, I was already feeling better. Talking to my friend, David, on the phone, we reflected on how little it takes to incapacitate us. Truly, the body is wonderful yet vulnerable.

Affliction offers God-believers the opportunity to have heartfelt conversations with Him. Words tend to be quite meaningful when pain holds us by the neck. We should be glad that we can call out to our Father when we are under assault. He gives us hope in the midst of suffering.

Affliction offers those who have strayed from God, the opportunity to run back to Him. Pain is a reminder of who is really in control. But what does affliction teach those who don’t believe in God? Who vindicates, frees, provides grace and listens to the one who worships None? The same David who pled with God to answer him, later asked his afflicters, “How long will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie?” Despite his suffering, he could see their deeper dilemma—ignoring God. Affliction has a way of doing that—bringing clarity to what matters and doesn’t matter . . . something to think about . . . in reveration.

Inspiration
The agony of a man’s affliction is often necessary to put him into the right mood to face the fundamental things of life.—Oswald Chambers in The Shadow of an Agony

Doors

2010-06-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sandra, the leader of Jennifer’s home Bible Study, informed the women of her job promotion with Key Bank. As a result, she would be moving to another state. While the women cheered her good fortune, immediately they wondered what would happen to their group when she left. At first, there was quite a bit of discouragement. Jennifer was personally going through a rough time in her life as a parent and Sandra’s advice was often invaluable and encouraging.

Meditation
1 Corinthians 16:7-9—I don't want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, because a wide door for effective ministry has opened for me—yet many oppose me.

The Apostle Paul changed his travel plans because God presented him with significant opportunity to extend his ministry in the city of Ephesus. From the passage above, we can see that Paul recognized that how he spent his time was subject to God’s permissive will. He further understood this required an open mind to observe what God was doing in his life and around him and a sensitivity to maximize divine providence.

Paul’s letters reveal personal frustration he sometimes felt in trying to be an effective minister of the gospel. Even while God opened a wide door for him to minister in Ephesus, people opposed him. Why? Perhaps some felt he should not spend as much time there. Maybe, his presence threatened leaders with their own agendas. Possibly, Paul faced purely secular threats—people purposely opposed to his sharing about Christ.

Often, God allows change or adversity to open our hearts to other options and opportunities, or, to test our resolve in proving faithful in what He provides. Sandra called Jennifer and asked to meet with her a week before moving. To Jennifer’s surprise, Sandra shared that she saw God’s hand at work in her friend’s life and sensed that the Spirit was orchestrating events so that Jennifer could exercise leadership. Sandra separately prayed with the other women and they collectively agreed Jennifer was the right one to teach the study. What looked initially discouraging to all of them turned into a blessing.

God allows or arranges circumstances to lead us to a different place. He brings us to a door we are to walk through by faith. If we miss His handiwork, we see only walls. If we take counsel of our fears, we fail to turn the knob. If the door is before you, and the Spirit beckons, walk through it and experience the joy of knowing your journey is a sanctioned adventure!

Inspiration
We discover the doors our Lord opens by watching the things unsaved human nature reacts against.—Oswald Chambers in If You Will Be Perfect

Homage

2010-06-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

There is a slang term in the English language, brown nose. It means to seek favor in a fawning manner. For example, someone may pay you a compliment to make you feel good about yourself while in reality what that person wants is simply to gain your favor. People brown nose to gain a higher standing. Those who observe people brown nosing, often ridicule them directly or behind their back because the action smacks of flattery and a lack of genuineness.

Brown nosing is the seamy side of paying homage, which should be a dignified act. Centuries ago in European society, a vassal might surrender himself to the feudal lord, by kneeling and giving his joined hands to the nobleman, who clasped them in his own, thus accepting the surrender.

Meditation
2 Chronicles 24:17,18—However, after Jehoiada died, the rulers of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them, and they abandoned the temple of the LORD God of their ancestors and served the Asherah poles and the idols. So there was wrath against Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

The Bible tells us, “Throughout the time of Jehoiada the priest, Joash did what was right in the LORD’s sight” (24:2). However, as soon as the priest died, officials from Judah came and turned his heart. How did they succeed in corrupting a good king? My hunch is it had much to do with paying homage. Those rulers appealed to King Joash’s ego stroking his sense of importance such that the king viewed himself higher than he viewed God. Why else would he rebel from his Lord and authorize idol worship? Undoubtedly, those evil rulers stood to gain from the practice of idol worship. They may have resented the authority and prominence of a religious priest. Somehow, they so corrupted the king’s thinking that he commanded that Johoiada’s son, Zechariah, be stoned to death after the priest’s son chastised the people for turning away from God. What a tragic turnaround for a leader who knew better!

How is your ego? What happens inside your heart when people attempt to curry your goodwill by sweet talk? If our need for importance, power, or control is out of balance, we are set up to accept hype and praise and potentially make compromising decisions. One course of action will help keep us in balance. As soon as someone gives you praise (whether it be genuine or with an agenda), deflect the glory to God. Someone says, “You are such a great speaker.” Respond simply, “Thank you. I give the credit to the Lord who gives me the wisdom to know what to say as I rely on Him.” The Lord is the worthy One! If there is to be homage, let it be to Him.

Inspiration
The tongue is our most powerful weapon of manipulation.—Richard J. Foster in Celebration of Discipline

Remembered

2010-06-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

Step after step in unison they marched, accenting the weight of each boot upon the carpet so that everyone in that banquet room could hear. Not an eye wandered, each man in his dress uniform staring straight ahead as they slowly moved across the assembled guests. Near a small round table, the squad leader halted them and faced them to the center. Then he moved to the second man and slowly saluted him, before taking from his outstretched hands the folded flag. In return, the one no longer carrying his nation’s colors, saluted. Next, the sergeant marched in silence to the empty table and placed the folded flag upon it. Returning, he aligned himself in front of the next man in line. From this one’s hands, he took another folded flag. Instead of saluting as before, he turned to his right and waited while the last man in formation moved to join him. Slowly the two unfolded the mostly black flag. Then, with reverence and precision, the younger soldier snapped the flag in place on a thin pole, beside the empty table set for one. Across the bottom of that flag were printed the words, “You are not forgotten.”

We who are soldiers pledge not to forget our fallen and missing comrades—those brave men who never came home. Where they languish in captivity, or died on lost and lonely landscape is unknown. That is only part of what fills our minds. What matters more is that we honor them, soldiers who swore to protect their nation knowing they might give the supreme sacrifice. In this case, to remember is to value—it is a spiritual concept breathed by our Creator! Moreover, tugging our hearts is that inner hope that if we were in their place we would not be forgotten.

Meditation
Isaiah 49:14-16—Zion says, “The LORD has abandoned me; The Lord has forgotten me!” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.”

Imagine if God forgot us. Imagine if we died and our bodies turned to dust and our souls were nothing more than some wind carried, siren song. Imagine if there was no homecoming because the Maker saw no need to forgive, restore, and perpetuate. Fortunately, the same God who promised never to forget the nation of Israel, sent His Son who promised us, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27,28).

When was the last time you thanked God for a Savior that always remembers? . . . something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
There is nothing so secure as the salvation of God; it is as eternal as the mountains, and it is our trust in God that brings us the conscious realization of this.—Oswald Chambers in The Pilgrim’s Song Book

Scheming

2010-05-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

When I read newspaper and internet stories and listen to the radio and television one word leaps to mind—scheming! Republicans accuse the President and the Democratic-controlled Congress of trying to impose socialism. Democrats accuse Republicans of fear mongering and not caring about the American people. Special interest groups accuse Supreme Court justices for not holding to the Constitution. Radio talk hosts accuse the media of sensationalism and distortion. There is no happiness and unity is as easy to find as a unicorn. Perhaps we would do well to pause and to consider the nature of man.

Meditation
Psalm 10:4—In all his scheming, the wicked arrogantly thinks: “There is no accountability, since God does not exist.”

I suspect rebellion was the first recorded sin in history. Two essential ingredients fuel an evil rebellion: pride and scheming. Satan turned against his Lord. Then he incited Adam and Eve to disobey. Absent pride, there was no reason for Satan to usurp God. Minus scheming, there would be no action. From the time of Eden to the last words of John, the Bible is sated with pride and scheming.

A man without God is a man who lives for himself. Even a kind atheist at heart gives to make himself feel good. Scheming is the natural byproduct of a man or woman’s attempt to get what he or she wants. Thus, it is asinine for us to act surprised at the selfishness we see in actors and leaders across societal spectrums. Even those in the presence of Jesus were natural schemers—just look at the twelve apostles! Too often, I am concerned with my own agenda. It is only by grace and the merciful help of a loving Counselor that I can set my heart to do what God wants!

Impious people will plot—they cannot help it. We do not have to stew and let the actions of the arrogant upset us. We are responsible to do what is right, to pray, and to seek the will of the Father. Our confidence comes when we remember, “But You Yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into Your hands. The helpless entrusts himself to You; You are a helper of the fatherless”—Psalm 10:14.

Inspiration
The vision of socialism is magnificent; there are benedictions and blessings for mankind on the line of socialism which have never been yet; but if once the root is cut from redemption, it will be one of the most frantic forms of despotic tyranny the human race has ever known. It looks like the lamb, but when the big crisis comes, it gives life to the beast.—Oswald Chambers in The Shadow of an Agony

Skepticism

2010-05-23T16:32:00.001-07:00

Paul and I were together several times the past month. I discovered he loves billiards so I asked if I could join him when he went out at night to the local pool hall. I am a weak pool player but he is both a great teacher and a patient competitor. While conversing, Paul revealed that he is an agnostic. One evening the topic of death came up and I mentioned the emptiness of dying only to end up as worm food. He countered that life was still valuable if we contributed to the betterment of others—even if they too had nothing more than the grave to anticipate. As our discussion deepened, I asked him if would not be much better to contribute to people’s lives and then have eternal life with God to enjoy. He agreed and at that point, I felt led not to force the conversation further with my fellow officer.

Meditation
John 7:12—And there was a lot of discussion about Him among the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good man.” Others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He’s deceiving the people.”

Hypocrisy, rigidity, insecurity (viewed as controlling), and a failure to listen are four ingredients that hasten the emergence of skepticism. An agnostic prefers to camp on the ground of uncertainty. Since most of us dislike uncertainty, we try to force the doubter to leave what we see as marsh to enter our solid encampment. If we are not careful, our persistent insistence that our ground is better while their soil is wrong, serves only to alienate them. There are a great number of people who do not appreciate being told where and how they should camp.

Truly only God can reach an agnostic since only He can reveal Himself. Since sin blinds men to truth and skepticism is a blind manifestation, our prayer should be for God’s mercy to overcome man’s hardness. If I understand Scripture correctly, my first responsibility is to love Paul and pray for his salvation. By loving him, I value who he is as a God-created man, treat him with dignity, and make every effort to model obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to what Scripture commands. Experientially, I find with agnostics that if they see I am genuine, they open up with questions and trust that I will dialogue honestly not trying to force my views down their throats. Humility is a great damper to skepticism.

God does not call us to win arguments. He calls us to follow Jesus. Truth does not rely on force of persuasion it stands on its own authenticity. This is why the fruit of truth is freedom. Therefore, those who disagree and resist what we espouse, should not intimidate us or increase our vocal volume but rather compel us to pray that the Lord of Light would shine His truth upon their darkness of doubt. In order to know how to pray for Paul, I must make the time to know Paul. How can I hope to see him sing praises in the mansion if I am not first willing to shoot pool with him in the marsh!

Inspiration
Skepticism is produced by telling people what to believe. We are in danger of putting the cart before the horse and saying a person must believe certain things before he can be a Christian; his beliefs are the effect of his being a Christian, not the cause of it.—Oswald Chambers in Approved Unto God

Sickness

2010-05-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I meet Christians who profess that believers should never get sick. In their view, illness stems from either sin, or natural causes unarrested by weak faith. You may have experienced sickness or prolonged disease and had someone imply your inability to get well was due to your lack of faith or unconfessed sin. Well let’s see what the New Testament has to say about this subject.

Meditation
John 9:2,3—His disciples questioned Him: " Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," Jesus answered. "[This came about] so that God's works might be displayed in him.

At least forty-four times the New Testament references Jesus healing people whom He encountered. Sometimes the healing was so dramatic, like the man in John 9 who was born blind, that the skeptical religious leaders could only mutter, “Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind.”

On at least two occasions Jesus taught that the sick needed a doctor and He used a hypothetical illustration of being sick to judge the actions of those who either helped Him or ignored Him (Mat. 9:12; 25:36-44). Twice Jesus revealed that sickness was part of God’s plan either to reveal God’s power, as in the case of the meditation passage above, or to glorify Christ as in the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:4-6). In at least two other instances, we discover that sickness at times can be directly attributed to God’s discipline for sin (1 Corinthians 11:29,30 and Revelation 2:21,22).

Jesus delegated authority to the disciples to heal people who were sick (Mat. 10:1,8). This authority continued after He returned to heaven (Acts 8:7). Healing also served as a sign demonstrating the power of God at work by His followers (Mark 16:17-19). Unfortunately, some use this passage in Mark improperly as a proof text for people to engage in questionable behavior to prove their legitimacy. The Bible also reveals that authority to heal is validated by faith on the part of the one needing healing. The implication is that if one does not believe healing is possible, that unbelief may prevent God from working. Clearly faith is an important aspect to healing (see Mark 5:28 and James 5:14,15).

However, just because someone remains sick does not prove insufficient faith. Not everyone ill in the Bible was healed as in the case of Timothy who was strong in faith yet suffered from stomach problems, and Trophimus, whom Paul left ill in Miletus (1 Timothy 5:23; 2 Ti. 4:20). God may allow sickness in a believer for a number of reasons: to show His power through our weakness; because germs, illness, demonic attacks and injury are a natural part of living in a fallen world; or because of sin and possible judgment.

When I am sick, I pray for God to heal me believing that His operational will is for me to function in good health. But I also am sensitive to discerning if it is possible that I am sick for a reason. I remember an instance in Thailand where after visiting a Buddhist Temple, I became so sick I was completely immobilized for a day. My teammates and family prayed for me and I recovered—but I believe that sickness was clearly a demonic attack brought on by my being in a place of spiritual darkness. My severe nearsightedness is a genetic reality and I need to wear contacts or glasses. While I would like the Lord to give me good eyesight, He has chosen to let me be legally blind. I have prayed for people to be healed and watched God miraculously heal them. I have prayed for people to be healed and yet as far as I could tell, nothing happened. In conclusion, there are many reasons for sickness. I believe our responsibility is to be humble, to believe that God can heal, to lay hands on and pray for those who are sick under the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to ensure what we believe is in line with what Scripture teaches. Never take one passage out of context from Scripture as a whole. Sickness happens. If you have Jesus you have eternal healing.

Inspiration
“It can never be God’s will that I should be sick.” If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son, why should He not bruise you?—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest

Heritage

2010-05-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

The Honorable Sid Jones, former Assistant Secretary of Treasury gave his “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” lecture to over 55 senior leaders from industry, the military and the government. His address punctuated the bleakness of the current U.S. economy, future dangers and possible remedies. He foresees an economic collapse for America given the great number of aging adults and the demands they place on social security. In describing U.S. assets and priorities one of his statements grabbed my attention. “We spend as much on security as the rest of the world combined.” Those words reminded me of Psalm 61:5.

Meditation
Psalm 61:5—God, You have heard my vows; You have given a heritage to those who fear Your name.

What we view as security says much about our spiritual maturity. Perhaps you own land or possessions passed on to you by your parents or grandparents. You could spend your whole life earning and putting money into savings or investments to pass on to your children as a heritage. But the reality is our world is temporary. There is no guarantee that you or your children will keep what is possessed. Wars, sickness, graft, theft, failed ventures and a host of other unknowns can easily destroy what we value. Therefore, while we should certainly appreciate what we inherit on earth we must never lose sight of a better heritage.

• Without salvation, there is no heritage; therefore, life is the ultimate heritage! In John 3:16 Jesus promised, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” Notice Jesus also gave us insight into life priorities in Matthew 19:29, “And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.”
• God’s Word is freely given to us to obey—it is an eternal heritage. The writer of Psalm 119 wrote in verse eleven, “I have Your decrees as a heritage forever; indeed, they are the joy of my heart.”
• The love of Jesus is a heritage to all who keep His commands. “If you keep My [Jesus] commands you will remain in My love” (John 15:10a).
• Jesus taught that after He returned to heaven the Holy Spirit would come upon His followers (Acts 1:8). Incredibly, God makes Himself our heritage. “Don’t you know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
• Jesus told His followers, “I am going away to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2b).

Life-word-love-presence-dwelling, do we understand what God offers us? Let’s not worry over what will eventually burn when we should passionately glow in what can never be taken away! King David wrote, “But as for me, LORD, my prayer to You is for a time of favor. In Your abundant faithful love, God, answer me with Your sure salvation” (Psa.69:13). David got it right. He knew the best heritage was salvation. How about you, do you get it? Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
Christ is not simply preparing a place for us; He is preparing us for that place.—Randy Alcorn in Heaven

Hollow

2010-05-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

Gray skies and cold temperatures framed my Sunday morning on the University of Syracuse campus. Determined to go to church, I walked to Hendricks Chapel in time to catch the 11:00 a.m. service. The building reminded me of a Roman cathedral with its large columns, balconies and great curtains. However, structural grandeur gave way to disappointment when I realized the student choir more than doubled the size of the few attendees. Their beautiful voices could not silence my discordant gnawing.

Tomi, stood up in her white robe and tennis shoes and delivered a message loosely tied to Acts 9:36-43. When she lifelessly described Tabitha’s raising as an “environment of interdependent causal relationships” I realized why the place was empty. Later reading from Revelation 7:9-17, she questioned the intellect of John. How could he suggest robes could be made white by the blood of the Lamb or that a lamb could lead sheep? In her brightness the Word was made dim. Tomi offered suggestions of what we could glean in life from her lens of process theology. No wonder Hendricks was hollow.

Meditation
Acts 9:40,41—Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive.

Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) is the father of process theology, a school of thought influenced by his metaphysical process philosophy. Essentially it teaches:
• God is not omnipotent in power, choosing rather to persuade than coerce.
• Reality is not comprised of time-enduring material substances but serially-ordered events, “which are experiential in nature.”
• Panentheism—God is not viewed as the sole Creator “but the eternal animating force behind the universe, with the universe as nothing more than the manifest part of God.” Essentially, everything past and present (not future) is in God.
• Free will by humans and creatures brings to the universe process and change. Self-determination defines everything in the universe, not just human beings.
• Humans do not experience personal immortality, but rather objective immortality. Their experiences survive forever in God.
• Jesus is not God, but rather fully identified with God. He is a created being.
• God co-creates with all other creatures, “including blooming flowers, singing whales, and insect architects . . . both God and finite beings draw on the same source of creative energy.” Nature as a whole is independent with its own autonomy. “There is no beginning to creation; God and the universe are co-eternally creative.” God incorporates all that happens into His own life.
• God does not know the future until it is actualized. He is not unchanging. He is dynamic absorbing new experience as the universe develops in creative transformation.

Whenever people remove their confidence from the Word of God and place it in the teachings of man—beware. Process theology denies that God is the omnipotent, sole Creator. It disallows the Trinity and Biblical teaching that man will stand one day before God for judgment. It strips the Lord of His attributes and renders Him dependent on the world. Process theologian Robert Mellert admits, “Process theologians, therefore, generally hold that God is in some sense dependent upon the world and that in that sense he is subject to the changes that take place in the world.”

Process theology neuters prayer because God is just a cooperative partner. Pray for those caught in this heresy for by making subjective claims about reality they render their pronouncements absurd in that they cannot be known by their own epistemology (The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and origin of knowledge. Epistemology asks the question “How do we know what we know?”). For example, how does a finite philosopher suppose to observe God as being inside everyone? How does he who is measured in time decide an eternal God cannot know the future?
If the ultimate authority in Process epistemology is man, and particularly the authority is man’s feelings, Process epistemology becomes problematic: Led by men’s feeling, there are many competing and conflicting opinions man has about God and theology. Not all of them could all be true in the same sense at the same time, since this would violate the Law of Non-Contradiction . . . how can the Bible have anything thing false or in error if the Bible is not propositional to begin with? . . . A categorical fallacy has been committed when they say that the Bible is false, because supposedly the Bible does not contain statements that are true or false.

I choose to believe God miraculously worked through Peter to bring a dead Tabitha back to life. He works His divine will today as true as yesterday and He knows what He will do tomorrow! Today my son, Bryan David, turned twenty-three. The one diagnosed with an inoperable brain-stem tumor at the age of three lives. We worshiped, we prayed, we wept and we experienced God as He came to us and healed Bryan. As surely as He saved Bryan once He can save us forever! I would rather believe the Bible is true, embrace hope in grace and live forever in His loving presence, than follow the dark logic that flowed from a Whitehead. Decide your source of wisdom, choose your process and live accordingly. Truth renders joy and is irrefutable while false renders hollow and flails.

Inspiration
If we let ourselves believe that man began with divine grace, that he forfeited this by sin, and that he can be redeemed only by divine grace through the crucified Christ, then we shall find peace of mind never granted to philosophers. He who cannot believe is cursed, for he reveals by his unbelief that God has not chosen to give him grace.—Blaise Pascal

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_theology
2 Charles Hartshorne, Omnipotence and Other Theological Mistakes (Albany: State University of New York, 1984), 32-36.
3 C. Robert Mesle, Process Theology: A Basic Introduction (St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 1993), 106.
4 http://www.processandfaith.org/resources/Cobb%20On%20Process%20Theology.shtml
5 Ibid
6 http://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/a-critique-of-process-theology%E2%80%99s-epistemology-and-doctrine-of-revelation/#_ftn4
7 The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
8 http://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2010/03/28

Pathway

2010-04-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

There is a very challenging obstacle at Fort Lewis that ROTC cadets are required to negotiate during their summer training. One at a time each student climbs up a metal staircase, stands up on a narrow beam about 6 inches in width and then walks up and down a step continuing to the other side. Next, the student must grab a rope, swing the legs over the rope and slide out to the center, hang and wait for a command to drop about 20 feet down to the lake below. It is amazing how hard it is to walk up and over that step so high above the water without falling or succumbing to fear.

Meditation
Psalm 18:36—You widen [a place] beneath me for my steps, and my ankles do not give way.

Occasionally God may ask us to traverse narrow walkways. High above our comfort zone, He tests us to see if we are willing to trust Him. He asks us to do what we would normally avoid and takes us where we do not want to go. Without challenges, how would our faith grow? However, some believe that God purposely makes life demanding and does not care that they suffer. For them, He is an unfair Lord bent on making their life like that of Job. Perhaps you have gone through a hard time and felt like God was intentionally out to make you squirm. Yet, while it is true that He does test us, far more often, He is actually making life better for us. He removes those things that would work to our ruin creating a safer path for our journey.

One songwriter wrote in Psalm 66:9, “He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip.” In Psalm 94:18 we read, “If I say, ‘My foot is slipping, Your faithful love will support me, LORD.’” Again, in Psalm 121:3, it says, “He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.” Clearly, those who followed God thousands of years ago recognized that He was their Benefactor, alert, loving, and dedicated to helping them.

Friend today would be a great day to pause what you are doing and take inventory. Ask God to remind you of incidents where you have seen His hand of protection at work in your life. You might inquire if there were times you took for granted and failed to see Him at work behind the scenes on your behalf. Do not be a noctambulist (sleepwalker) and take divine protection for granted! I am certain we will be amazed to discover in God’s presence, how oblivious we were to His working to better our lives. If we would even slightly believe that our Father cares enough to broaden our pathway and protect our journey we would have much greater reason to step out in faith! Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
What, can Jesus meet my need? Yes, and more than meet it. No matter how intricate my path, how difficult my service; no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my loved ones; no matter how helpless I am, how deep are my soul yearnings—Jesus can meet all, all, and more than meet.—Hudson Taylor

Willing

2010-04-20T20:38:00.002-07:00

I had the privilege for several weeks of working with four Army generals. In discussing the importance of a good reputation, several of them shared why it was vital to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Their conduct was measured not just by standards but also the perception of those standards. Aside from their own moral and spiritual convictions what they were willing to do or not do was tied directly to the people they served. I was encouraged that powerful men modeled integrity with humility.

Meditation
Psalm 51:12,13—Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit. Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to You.

Why did King David watch a naked woman bathe, get her pregnant, show duplicity, murder her husband and act like nothing ever happened? What made this heroic king dive into a pond of filth? How did he get so fouled up? Let’s examine his life and see if we can discover what caused such horrendous moral failure.

Before Bathsheba, David set himself up for adultery by marrying many wives in direct violation to God’s instruction for kings in Deuteronomy 17:17a. “He [the king] must not acquire many wives for himself so that his heart won't go astray.” The more women he took for himself, the easier it came to rationalizing, “I can have anyone I want, I’m the king!” A man single-minded for God does not build female condominiums in his heart.

In 2 Samuel 11:1a we read, “In the spring when kings march out [to war], David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel.” Did you catch that? David sent his general to do what he should have done. When the ground is replaced by the featherbed, cause is made for carousing. Further on we read, “From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. So David sent someone to inquire about her . . .” Stop! Nothing good ever comes from naked woman investigations. The moment David began his inquiry he set in motion desire that should have been squelched by immediately leaving the roof.

“David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her.” By sending messengers, David involved others in his crime. I think they knew what “get” meant. Why didn’t any of them warn him that he was breaking God’s law? Either they were moral cowards or they feared a king unafraid of God. And why didn’t Bathsheba refuse his advances? Her man was out in battle! She was more flattered by the attention of her king and the possibilities of a life with him than concerned about faithfulness to her Lord and to her husband. And where were the priests during all this time? And why did every other wife keep silent? Can we see what happens when power is the order of the day?

Lest we think that we could never duplicate David’s crimes let’s take personal inventory, a willing test. Here are questions I ask myself that you might find helpful:
1. How spiritually fit am I? Do I faithfully study the Bible? Is the Holy Spirit able to speak to my life? Do I consistently meet with the Father in prayer?
2. How socially fit am I? Am I accountable to someone who is spiritually mature and willing to check up on my conduct, thought-life, and overall state on a regular basis? Am I engaged in meaningful fellowship where believers have freedom to observe and speak to my life?
3. How emotionally fit am I? Am I feeling sorry for myself? Do I feel entitled to do something I normally would not do because I am prideful? Or am I strong in the Lord?
4. How intellectually fit am I? Am I bored and therefore misusing the free time I have? Is my life absorbed in pursuing activities that have no redeeming value?

Self-evaluation can assist a better understanding of where I may be spiritually weak. But I have to go a step further and recognize that I cannot create a willing spirit to do what God wants me to do. The moment I think my spiritual condition is dependent on me, I am in trouble and pride is lurking. Let’s be honest, because of a sin nature, my character is permanently cracked. Therefore, only God can give me a willing heart. I must have His help. He is able to rebuild, renew and restore!

A careful reading of Psalm 51 reveals the crux of David’s moral failure. The king who willingly abided by God’s will at some point in his reign decided his will was more important. This is why David’s prayer for God to give him a willing spirit after Nathan confronted him for his sin, is so profound. David knew what was wrong. Without a willing spirit, he was done—spiritually dead! The journey away from God’s will rarely consists of one step. It occurs over time and is almost always paved by the stones of lust, compromise, indifference and pride. So, like David, I need God’s help to be God-willing. Fortunately, I have a Father who understands, forgives, heals and provides! And so do you!

Inspiration
The man who gains a moral victory by sheer force of will is the most difficult man to deal with afterwards. The profound thing in man is his will, not sin. Will is the essential element in God’s creation of man; sin is a perverse disposition which entered into man. At the basis, the human will is one with God; it is covered up with all kinds of desires and motives, and when we preach Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit excavates down to the basis of the will and will turns to God every time.—Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

Wavering

2010-04-20T20:38:00.001-07:00

Meditation
I Samuel 27:1,2—David said to himself, "One of these days I'll be swept away by Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I'll escape from him." So David set out with his 600 men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.

What happened? Why did David, the Middle Eastern heartthrob and most popular combatant on the known planet decide it was time to flee the country? He had just filled King Saul with shame by sparing him when by all rights he could have speared him. Saul even admitted knowing David would prevail. David knew that God promised him the kingship. God never reigns through dead bodies. So why did he give in to the notion that Saul could end his life?

Maybe he was tired. Fatigue can make us second guess anything.

Maybe he was afraid. Instead of trusting God as was his normal pattern, perhaps he looked at circumstances and let them dictate his next course of action.

Maybe he was discouraged. Often after a major victory or emotional high, we are subject to a letdown. Remember Elijah after defeating 400 of Baal’s prophets and making King Ahab look ridiculous, fled in abject fear when Queen Jezebel vowed to kill him? David knew he was God’s anointed, but that did not mean that every day he woke up feeling positive about his life expectancy. Even oil dries up.

Maybe he was stuck—his options seemed dismal. If he went back home to Judah and Saul came after him again, he put his entire family in jeopardy. He knew Saul was spiritually unstable yet held the power so today’s peace was no guarantee of security tomorrow. What else could he do but run and seek the protection of Gath’s king?

I remember in 1991 before the Gulf War broke out, a Captain in my unit was terrified that we might deploy. Faced with a scary unknown, he wavered. Instead of fulfilling his obligation, he found a way to get medically separated from the Army. Later, when the war quickly ended, he managed to come back into the reserves. Ironically, our unit never did deploy. I watched how my friend faltered and it made a deep impression on me. But the truth is we all waver. Who never has moments of doubt or hesitation? Often those who seem the most in control are inwardly insecure and prone to all kinds of mental vacillation.

Right now, you may be facing a big decision. You may be tired, afraid, or at wits end. At this moment of choice look to the Lord for wisdom and strength. Ask for His help. Share with Him what you are feeling. He understands. He will guide and protect you. You don’t have to waver! Listen for His direction and act decisively. We know the Father of what to do so why live like we don’t!

Inspiration
Pray the Lord ever to give me the single eye, the clear judgment, the wisdom and gentleness, the patient spirit, the unwavering purpose, the unshaken faith, the Christ like love needed for the efficient discharge of my duties. And ask Him to send us sufficient means and suitable helpers for the great work which we have as yet barely commenced.—Hudson Taylor

Primary Purpose

2010-03-12T23:46:00.000-08:00

I read a fascinating article in The Oregonian. The following sentences captured my attention.

Having a sense of purpose in life seems to provide a shield against illness—particularly in old age . . . Those with the highest sense of purpose were half as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with the lowest sense of purpose during seven years of follow-up . . . In an earlier study, the same group [Rush University Medical Center in Chicago] found that the risk of dying from any cause was nearly cut in half among women and men with a greater sense of purpose.

*

Meditation
Esther 10:3—Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, famous among the Jews, and highly popular with many of his relatives. He continued to seek good for his people and to speak for the welfare of all his kindred.

Between 486-465 B.C. a large population of Jews lived in Persia under the reign of King Ahasuerus I. The most prominent leader under the king was a man by the name of Mordecai. Throughout Mordecai’s life he did all he could to help his people. When his cousin, Esther, lost her parents, he took her in his own home and raised her as his daughter. When he overheard a plot to assassinate the king, he intervened through Esther to save Ahasuerus’ life. Whether by discernment or by religious conviction he refused to bow before Haman, the second highest official in the land. Later, putting Esther’s life at risk, Mordecai insisted she alert the king to Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews. His tenacious leadership led to Haman’s hanging and saved the Jews from slaughter.

Mordecai was a leader with a clearly defined purpose—all his life he sought to promote the welfare of his people. His life poses a question you and I ought to ask ourselves. What is my purpose in life? I would contend that the Rush University study reveals a key principle. Those who do not have a sense of purpose are far less likely to live well. I would further contend that what we choose as our primary purpose is even more vital.

If my primary purpose is to be a great athlete, what happens when I no longer can compete with those younger and stronger? Ask Michael Jordan how fulfilled he feels these days. What are the consequences if my primary purpose becomes pleasing myself? Ask Tiger Woods. If my primary purpose is to be rich when is enough, enough? If my primary purpose is to obtain power or popularity, how do I handle sickness and mortality? Could it be that every purpose under the sun eventually leads to despair except one—the purpose to please God?

Mordecai’s intention to help his people tied into a deeper purpose of honoring and serving God. So what is your primary purpose? If you live to worship God, your life will radiate joy. This joy is impervious to the pain, sin, heartache, sorrow and loss that come from living in a fallen world. When we purpose to live for God we learn by grace that our worth is not determined by age, energy level, mental capacity or social-economic status. Our worth is eternally priceless through Jesus the Savior who gave His life to make us matter. Purpose focused on pleasing God renders a hallelujah vocabulary in a hell o yuck society. It honors the very God whose purpose is to bless us with an eternal relationship with Him in a future world where awesome will be a weak adjective. Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
Just imagine what it would be like to say to yourself, “I have decided that my overriding purpose in life is to be worthy of Christ and to remember whom I represent.”—Stuart Briscoe in Spiritual Stamina

*Joe Rojas-Burke in “Antidote for illness comes with life goals” The Oregonian Thursday March 11, 2010.

Sacrament

2010-03-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

It was the beginning of day four of a head cold that felt like a nonstop faucet leak through my eyes. I went through enough Kleenex to carpet a football field. Now it is standard practice in my Army organization to offer chapel service to any interested soldiers on Sunday. For some reason, our higher headquarters did not plan a service for this conference. So not only was my body weak, I was spiritually hungry for time with other saints to worship.

My Jewish Brigade Commander, David, walked up to me and handed me a small plastic container with what looked like grape juice inside. David has remarkable people skills. He approached a group of people in our hotel that were getting ready to have a worship service. I saw them passing out the containers to their members in the lobby and concluded they were going to celebrate communion. I didn’t think to ask them for one since I would be in meetings and could not join them. But David’s thinking was much clearer. He asked for one and gave it me and encouraged me to have my own communion.

After our meeting, I had some time alone in the lobby. I pulled off the top of the container and to my surprise, it held not just juice but also a thin white wafer. As I silently prayed and thanked the Lord for His unbelievable sacrifice for me on a cross, I was immediately encouraged by His presence. Communion chills far surpass cold chills!

Meditation
1 Corinthians 11:25,26—In the same way [He] also [took] the cup, after supper, and said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

Twice the phrase, “as often” graces the passage above. It reminds me that the sacrament of communion is not just about remembrance it is also proclamation. In that South Carolina Marriott hotel, brothers and sisters of an unknown church came to proclaim the unique message that makes our belief distinct for profound reasons. Our God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. Who else does that? What makes fellowship sweet is the sourness of the cost shared from the mouth of One who knew His blood would flow in the most horrible fashion yet announced it beforehand with the encouragement as often!

My friend David encouraged me to celebrate my Savior Jesus. How profound that the one who does not yet know The One, brought Him to me in sacrament. More often should I thank my Lord, with this visible sign of His invisible grace! He is worthy—we are witnesses.

Inspiration
“Sacrament” means the real presence of God coming through the common elements.—Oswald Chambers in The Place of Help

The Lord Spoke

2010-02-12T14:21:00.001-08:00

Kathleen and I are trying to find the right company to help us refinance our home. Each of the four brokers we spoke with gave us compelling reasons to refinance with his or her particular company. We were uncertain as to who was really giving us the best option. Finally, we sat down with a broker in his office and listened as he explained why his option was the best for us. Before he went into his pitch he told us about his family and about a solar energy project he was working to help people bring their energy costs down. At some point in the meeting, I distinctly in my heart “heard” the Lord tell me that this was the man who would help us refinance. It was sort of a surreal moment. Yet, I instantly had peace about our choice and course of action.

Meditation
Numbers 1:1—The LORD spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came of Egypt.
Acts 18:9—One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.”

In the Old Testament and the New Testament, God spoke to His people. He let them know what they needed to know. Do you think it is any different today? We all need to hear from the Lord. We need His direction. We need His encouragement. And here is the good news—the Lord wants to speak to you.

Some of you have wandered away from His voice and you are not even sure He is willing to speak to you anymore. Some of you have heard His voice and resisted. You don’t want to hear Him speak because you are afraid of what He is going to say. Some of you are so discouraged you have concluded that God isn’t interested in speaking to you. Some of you have listened for a long time and heard nothing and therefore concluded God is not concerned with you or willing to speak. And some of you hear Him speak regularly and have an intimacy that is refreshing.

Jesus told His followers in John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.” Recently I met with a friend who is very discouraged about his relationship with God. In the course of the conversation, he admitted consistently running from God so as to exercise his own will. Now, burdened by alcohol and broken relationships with women he is a broken man. He wants to do the right thing but he is not sure he can even hear God speaking. I encouraged him to take one day off a week to rest, to spend time studying Scripture and to give God the opportunity to speak to his life. Busyness is one of the biggest reasons why we don’t hear God—we’ve crowded Him out. Often I wonder if people run from God by keeping themselves busy.

Let’s set aside time to let the Holy Spirit communicate with us. Let’s trust that even when we are engaged in our daily activities we can still hear Him speak. Life lived obediently to God is the precursor to joy. A life deaf to His leading is a formula for tragedy. Choose wisely and listen!

Inspiration
When we are born again we have to obey the Spirit of God, and as we draw on the life of Jesus and learn to assimilate and carry out what He speaks to us, we shall grow in ignorance of certain things and be alive and alert only to what is God’s will for us.—Oswald Chambers in The Servant As His Lord

Unauthorized

2010-02-06T19:44:00.000-08:00

When I read my Bible I look forward each day to hearing from the Lord. I look forward to learning something that will help me live more effectively or that will enable me to help others. I don’t know about you but I find the book of Leviticus to be hard reading. For the first nine chapters, God instructs Moses in how the Israelites are to bring offerings and the priests are to conduct themselves and I’m struggling to see anything even remotely interesting. Then chapter ten comes along and I read the shocking verses below.

Meditation
Leviticus 10:1-3—Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own firepan, put fire in it, placed incense on it, and presented unauthorized fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them [to do]. Then flames leaped from the LORD's presence and burned them to death before the LORD. So Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD meant when He said: I will show My holiness to those who are near Me, and I will reveal My glory before all the people." But Aaron remained silent.

Do you ever have questions about why God acts the way He does? I do. While Moses was gone 40 days receiving instruction from God, his brother Aaron caved in to the wishes of his countrymen and forged an unauthorized golden calf for them to worship. He let them get out of control. His dereliction of duty initially resulted in 3000 Israelites killed. Then God struck the people with a plague (see Exodus 32). God did nothing to Aaron.

We read above of God burning to death Nadab and Abihu! Where was their father when they went before God? Did he know his sons were possibly drunk and therefore irresponsible in their actions? God did nothing to Aaron.

In Numbers chapter 12, Moses’ sister Miriam and Aaron criticized him because of his Cushite wife and challenged his authority. God struck Miriam with temporary leprosy for speaking against His servant. God did nothing to Aaron. Eight chapters later, Moses and Aaron disobeyed God’s explicit instruction to speak to the rock so water might pour out. Instead, an angry Moses struck the rock while Aaron took no action to stop him. Then God punished them. He took away their right to enter the Promised Land and shortly thereafter, He ended the life of Aaron.

Was not Aaron’s treasonous golden calf far more heinous than the quirky fire his sons brought before God? It scares me to think that God can be, dare I say, capricious (erratic). Or could it be that He has His purposes for doing what He does? He sees into the hearts of men and women what we cannot see. He knows when it is time to strike and when it is better to refrain from striking. Perhaps it was not fitting to terminate His anointed high priest. Maybe Aaron’s service was more important for a season than leaving Moses alone to cope with his rebellious countrymen. Maybe Aaron’s days were filled with unimaginable grief and pressure trying to appease complainers. Maybe his silence at the execution of his sons was as remarkable as his ability to later worship the Executioner. Maybe his criticism was the overflow of a heart fed up by desert life where people dropped dead on a daily basis and he didn’t always like the decisions of his younger brother. Maybe, just maybe God decided to extend grace.

I don’t understand. It doesn’t matter. The point is that God expects me to live in a pure manner. You and I have no right to do what is unauthorized. The consequences may be immediate and shattering or God may seemingly do nothing. He sees. He knows. He loves. He judges. Our responsibility is to make the fire the way He prescribed.

Inspiration
A fault once denied is twice committed.—Japanese proverb

Giving Wisely

2010-01-25T15:55:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading the best book I ever read concerning Biblical principles on giving wisely. The author is Jonathan Martin and the title of his book is Giving Wisely? You can find and purchase it from www.amazon.com.

Meditation
2 Corinthians 8:14,15—at the present time your surplus is [available] for their need, so that their abundance may also become [available] for your need, that there may be equality. As it has been written: The person who gathered much did not have too much, and the person who gathered little did not have too little.

During this time of economic uncertainty, many Christians struggle with how to handle their money. I wrestle with how to best invest the resources God gives me towards His Kingdom. There are more needs than I can help and I receive requests for financial assistance virtually every week. On top of those requests are my own financial challenges. So what does God want me to do?

Jonathan shares five principles in the acronym RAISE that form a great guide in helping us give locally or internationally in a God pleasing manner.
R = Relationship. Jonathan notes, “The healthiest giving is best done at a relational level, not merely the emotional level.” Too often we give out of a guilt complex that we have more than someone else, or because we feel manipulated emotionally by the appeal. It takes more work to form a relationship with someone but the end result is almost always better than resorting to a handout.
A = Accountability. Jonathan’s church, Good Shepherd Community Church, does not support nationals directly. They give through organizations. This creates answerability and protects against fraud, misunderstanding and abuse. Is it wise to give a person money for food who has cable television, indulges bad habits and runs up credit card debt?.
I S = Indigenous Sustainability. Sometimes our giving directly sabotages the motivation of a local ministry to meet its needs. Our giving should not create dependency or stifle the creativity and responsibility of another body to fix its problems and grow local solutions.
E = Equity. Our giving should not inappropriately raise another above the local standard of living. As we see in the passage above, balance in the body is a good thing!

This morning I was impressed with Jacob’s example in Genesis 43. His family was in the midst of a severe famine and they badly needed food. Despite the harsh and bizarre manner his sons were treated by Joseph (whom they did not recognize), Jacob sent them back to Egypt with the finest products of their land and twice as much money as was needed. He chose to be a blessing in the face of suffering. As Christians, we can always give something! Too often, we let our circumstances determine our action or inaction instead of trusting God. Give because God gave you His best, Jesus. Help others so as to bless them and you receive blessing. Just don’t forget to share wisely! God does not just expect us to be generous, He expects us to use discernment with the resources He owns!

Inspiration
Harambee is the East African custom of joining efforts to raise resources for a good cause.—Glenn Schwartz in When Charity Destroys Dignity

Holiness II

2010-01-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

I apologize in advance for this illustration but I am not trying to be crude in making a crucial point. Each night I walk our two dogs, Hero the Labrador retriever and Saber the Sheltie. When the three of us walk, Saber has a habit that is extremely annoying. If he comes across what I suspect is dung from another animal (I’m guessing raccoon), before I can stop him, he literally does an in-the-air rollover dive into the mess and slides his chest and back all over it! Now I’m mad because I have to clean him (a difficult task with his thick and long hair) and he stinks. Furthermore, can you imagine what people would think of me as an owner if they came upon Saber in such a disgusting condition?

Meditation
Ezekiel 36:23-28—I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh"—the declaration of the Lord GOD —"when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight. "For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances. Then you will live in the land that I gave your fathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.

You remember the story! God led the Israelites to Canaan, the land He promised to Abraham and his descendants. He expected them to live righteously in contrast to the heathen nations that occupied that territory. Instead, they jumped and rolled in the sin of the residents they failed to remove and brought such a stench upon themselves that God in disgust, forcibly removed and scattered them through the armies of Assyria and later Babylon. I think we tend to be hard on the Jews and to judge them for turning their backs on God and walking in wicked behavior. But I wonder, are we so different? How many people do you know who claim to be Christians yet live identical to their Christ-disdaining neighbors? How many Jesus followers wear the odor of the world because the aroma is powerfully attractive? If you and I do not carefully watch ourselves, we can easily find ourselves guilty of doing and being the very things God forbids.

Here’s the good news. God is a forgiving, loving Father. Rather than abandon His people and start over with a “new breed,” He promised to bring them back to their own land, clean them up, place His Spirit within them and cause them to obey His laws and to be His children. God demonstrates His holiness through people. He honors His holy great name by helping us be holy. May God be forever praised for His faithful commitment to our well-being! We don’t deserve it. So, the next time you see a fellow believer engage in sinful behavior, remind him or her whose Name they represent. And before you are tempted to do evil, think of the consequences of your action. Remember that God wants to work His holiness through us so that every nation can see what clean and pure looks like to His glory!

Dear Lord, I am so sorry for thoughts or action that caused You to hold Your nose and look away. Thank You for loving me enough to cleanse me. May I walk in holiness each day to the betterment of our relationship and so those around me see Your holiness at work!

Inspiration
The demonstration of holiness has always been at the heart of God’s strategy of world evangelization.—Robert E. Coleman in The Master Plan of Discipleship

Outsiders

2010-01-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to be part of a group but found yourself excluded? Whether it be a school, church, club, team, a political party or affiliation most of us recognize the existence within any organization of an inner ring. Many people spend their whole lives seeking acceptance and entrance into these cliques or groups. No one wants to be left out.

Meditation

Galatians 2:11-13—But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. For he used to eat with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

Let’s look deeper into what caused Peter and Barnabas to act in a manner they knew was wrong. Jews, affiliated with Jesus’ brother James, came to Antioch from Jerusalem. When these men came from Jerusalem they probably voiced concerns to Peter that by eating with Gentiles, he was setting up the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem and elsewhere, for persecution from the circumcision party—a nationalistic group deeply committed to Jewish laws. Peter was afraid enough of this group to stop eating with the Gentiles. His Jewish team joined in his hypocrisy.

Peter wanted approval from James and the men who came from Jerusalem. Whether he desired to be part of their team, we don’t know. What we do understand is that he hurt the Gentile believers by pulling away from them. Peter forgot that when he accepted Jesus as his Lord he became part of the only team that would ever matter—the Outsiders.

Would you agree the need for acceptance courses through our veins? We want to be part of a group or at least gain their approval for a number of reasons: power, status, security, safety, recognition, belonging, and/or privilege. The need to join an inner ring can be so compelling that a person will violate his or her own conscience and do the wrong thing. Consider what a person will do or not do to join a sorority. Can you think of a time in your life when peer pressure or the dictates of a club led you to engage in behavior you knew was wrong? It is often teens desperately seeking acceptance ignored by the popular kids at school, who join gangs of misfits to engage in immoral behavior. The need to be included is more powerful than the ability to stand alone and risk rejection.

Outsiders are no longer of this world. Outsiders never put an organization or group above loyalty to Jesus Christ because they know that people will surely let them down. Outsiders do not need or look for membership in an inner ring to bolster their self-esteem. They are already family with the Inner Ring that truly matters—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit! Outsiders gain their confidence from being IN Christ. Outsiders build their faith and function confidently because they know God loves them unconditionally and secured for them an eternal place in His presence.

If you are one of those influenced by the pack, or who feels the constant need to be a member of the “in crowd,” ask yourself, “Who am I truly serving?” Better to be an outsider obedient and centered on God than an insider pursuing what cannot last and ultimately will not matter. I am not saying teams are unimportant, but rather that we must beware of seeking approval and inclusion that is not God honoring.

Inspiration

I believe that in all men’s lives at certain periods, and in many men’s lives at all periods between infancy and extreme old age, one of the most dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside.—C.S. Lewis in The Weight of Glory

More Truth

2010-01-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

In reading through the Bible in 2009, my selected theme was truth. Earlier this week, Chris primed our pumps asking us what truth is. I am going to finish off the year sharing what I learned from this vital Biblical topic hoping that it encourages and challenges you as much as it did me.

Meditation

Psalm 85:11—Truth will spring up from the earth, and righteousness will look down from heaven.

There are seven themes regarding truth. The first and most common theme deals with the veracity of our words. Approximately, 115 times in 40 books the Bible illustrates importance in the accuracy of what we speak from our mouths.

The second major theme ties truth directly to God as an attribute and expression of His words and nature. In Exodus 34:6 we read, “Then the LORD passed in front of him [Moses] and proclaimed: Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth.” At least 78 times in 21 books of the Bible truth describes God, and His Word. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also equated with truth.

The third major truth theme has to do with integrity and pertains to the character and actions of people. This is illustrated aptly by the description Jesus gives Nathaniel in John 1:47—“Here is a true Israelite; no deceit is in him.” Fifty-nine times in sixteen books truth is illustrated primarily as an issue of integrity.

The fourth major truth theme is particularly relevant to us because it describes the benefits of living truthfully. Because this list is so encouraging I am going to share at least 25 benefits we gain from truth:

1. God’s truth guides us in how we should live and what we should do.

2. God’s truth guards us and He becomes our shield.

3. We are sanctified by truth.

4. God does not withhold good from those who live with integrity.

5. People of integrity will remain in the land and dwell on the heights

6. Job notes how painful honest words can be. Truth forces us to examine issues we might rather avoid or set aside.

7. God does not reject a person of integrity.

8. Living honestly allows us to dwell in God’s presence

9. The LORD is near to those who call on Him with integrity.

10. The one who follows the way of integrity can serve God.

11. Integrity helps us wait on God whereas living in the flesh pulls us away.

12. Because of our integrity, God supports us.

13. Truth endures forever!

14. An honest witness does not deceive others.

15. A truthful witness rescues lives.

16. The king loves one who speaks honestly.

17. The children of a parent with integrity will be happy

18. An honest answer refreshes people.

19. The one who lives with integrity will be helped.

20. The nations will be blessed by the one who speaks God’s truth

21. The one who lives by truth, comes to the light.

22. The truth will set us free.

23. People of the truth listen to the words of Jesus.

24. Truth leads to godliness and makes us pure in God’s sight

25. Whoever lives with integrity fears the Lord.

The fifth theme reveals truth corrupted or attacked and the consequences that come from not walking in the truth. In sixteen books, 31 times we see truth undermined.

The sixth theme clearly reveals that God expects us to live and speak truthfully. The Old Testament prophets often reminded the people that they were only to speak God’s words. The Apostle Paul reminded the Ephesian church, “Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25). At least 16 books illustrate 27 times that truth is expected.

The least mentioned theme shows how truth is applied to material objects (honest scales, true tabernacle, the book of truth, etc.).

As we enter the year 2010, let us resolve to walk in truth for the glory of the Father of Truth. Our hope in reaching people with the gospel is to walk with integrity thereby gaining God’s favor and help.

Inspiration

I have long sought the Truth, but without finding it. I have travelled far and near, but have never searched it out. In Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, I have found no rest. But I do find rest in what we have heard tonight. Henceforth, I am a believer in Jesus.—Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor in Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret

EVE

2009-12-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

On the day before Christmas, many get ready with last minute actions for tomorrow. For some it is a trip to the grocery store to buy baking ingredients. Others trek to the mall to find that elusive gift for someone special. This is a day of preparation and especially for children, one of anticipation.

However, a far greater eve than the time we celebrate Jesus’ birth is upon us. A much more important day arrives. To celebrate His birth we remember the cosmic grandness of God’s love (John 3:16). Awaiting His return, we center upon His awesome judgment and the fulfillment of His promise to liberate us from our fallen nature. Sadly, too many Christians invest in the birthday at the expense of the birthright.

Meditation

2 Thessalonians 3:1,2—Finally, pray for us, brothers, that the Lord’s message may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not all have faith.

When you gather around a decorated tree and celebrate a gift exchange, will you ask God to reveal His Gift to the countless masses clueless to His love? When you eat food with loved ones remember the purpose of the Bread of Life. When you sing cheerful carols to Christ and melancholy reminders of the lowly Babe, remember that “Go tell it on the mountain!” is far more concerned with propagating the good news of salvation.

If Christmas is not a pleasant day for you and conjures memories of abuse and pain, look ahead to the eve of Jesus’ return and take hope. We can learn from Scripture, which aside from the gospel account of Jesus birth, records no passages of followers gathering to reflect on nativity. They focused on the priority of telling Jews and Gentiles of His life and what that life meant (Romans 10:8-10). The cross and not the manger is what spurred their sense of urgency. Paul asked for prayer that the gospel would spread quickly and receive honor. It is the most important message of all time.

Merry Christmas! Thank God for the birth of His Son. Celebrate! Moreover, when the winds of this birthday celebration pass, ask God to renew in your heart the willingness to do all you can to prepare people for the day He returns. “Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11). Is not the greatest eve to know and to be prepared for the Day of the Lord and the brightness of His coming? Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

Had I a thousand souls, if they were worth any thing, I would give them all to God; but I have nothing to give, when all is done . . . It is impossible for any rational creature to be happy without acting all for God; God Himself could not make him happy any other way.—David Brainerd

DISCOURAGEMENT

2009-12-20T23:16:00.002-08:00

Wando* and I drove to Tigard to pick up the parts we needed to fix the broken pipe in my garage. The first two hardware stores we checked did not have the couplings necessary to fix the half-inch pipe so we had plenty of time to chat. Wando shared about his failed marriage. It bothered him that his life bore the stain of an unsuccessful relationship. I took the opportunity to share with him about Jesus and how essential I believe the Son of God is to holding marriages together. He agreed in the importance of “a higher power.” I hope I get to talk to him again—I want to share that his fulfillment is not tied to a woman.

Meditation

Ezra 9:3,4—When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and robe, pulled out some of the hair from my head and beard, and sat down devastated. Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me, because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat devastated until the evening offering.

If devastation is the sudden realization of disaster, discouragement is the lingering pain of when will life ever be right. Ezra returned to his homeland from Babylon. Once back in Jerusalem, God’s holy priest discovered that the Israelite people, to include priests and Levites, took wives from the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. God strictly warned them not to do this. The act of intermarrying often led to worshipping foreign idols and turning away from Yahweh.

Realizing the severity of their sin, the people gathered around Ezra. Together they wept bitterly. It was the rainy season and the weather reflected the gloomy spirits. If you have ever seen a five-day-old helium balloon, you have an idea of their energy level. Then Shecaniah, a suffering bystander, proposed a difficult solution. “Let us therefore make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law. Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we support you. Be strong and take action!” (10:3,4)

An energized Ezra got up and made the leaders take an oath to do what Shec proposed. A proclamation circulated calling the people to separate from their foreign wives. The people responded in agreement. Can you imagine this happening today? The outcry, legal maneuvering and excuses not to obey God would fall thicker than a heavy rain. Perhaps this is why discouragement is so prevalent among God’s children. Have we become so conditioned to living as we please, that we refuse to take the difficult steps to be holy? I believe the cure to discouragement is to do what is right. God is pleased when we obey Him. He empowers us when we move in accordance with His will not when we move by the dictates of our flesh. Friend, if you are discouraged, ask God to show you what you need to do. Get up and do it. Be strong and take action! If you need prayer or moral support, send us an email—we’re behind you!

Inspiration

God grant we may get to the place where discouragement is as impossible to us as it was to the Lord Jesus. The one dominant note of His life was the doing of His Father’s will.—Oswald Chambers in Run Today’s Race

*Not his real name

SELF-CENTERED

2009-12-20T23:16:00.001-08:00

I make it a habit to read the Bible daily because I want to grow in my relationship with God and I need the wisdom His word gives to help me live in a God-pleasing manner. Sometimes Scripture jumps from the pages and slaps me. Such was the case recently when reflecting on 1 John 1:3,4.

This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” without keeping His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

If I know God, why don’t I keep His commands? If I have a love relationship with Him, why then do I still have a lust relationship with the world? If I’m reading John correctly, lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes cannot cohabit with love for God. “If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him” (2:15b). This profoundly disturbs me. Obviously, I don’t know and love God very well. Too often, my thoughts course down Self-Centered River. My boat seems inexorably caught in currents that flow away from His presence. The intimacy I crave for with Him is sabotaged by intomesee.

Meditation

Haggai 1:9—“You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why?” This is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts. “Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.”

The prophet Haggai relayed to his countrymen God’s displeasure with them. Instead of rebuilding His temple and worshiping Him, they were preoccupied with their own things. While the temple sat in ruins, the Israelites looked after personal needs. Because of their self-centered attitude, God kept them from experiencing blessing. He knew they were not in love with Him!

The paradox of spiritual blessing is that it comes at the cost of personal indulgence. Jesus stated clearly that if we want to pursue Him we must deny self-wants (Luke 9:23). In essence, the mark of spiritual intimacy is the disappearance of self-gratifying love. God’s command is “Do not love the world.” How do we know what worldly love is? When extended to its conclusion it is meaningless. Possessions wear out and leave us unfulfilled. The best lust ends in death. Feelings lead to failings. Nature fades the planet burns. Anything we pursue that pulls us away from God is pointless.

God is not saying we cannot experience pleasure—that would contradict His purpose in creating us. I believe what He is saying is that it displeases Him when we are so busy with our own house that we neglect His house (Him). Disobedience is intimacy’s cancer. Our kingdom must never displace His Kingdom. So how do I remove my self-centered bent? I need God’s help. I cry out, “Lord, I want to know You, but I don’t know how to rid my heart of its idols. Help me. I’m sorry for letting the love of me displace the love for You. Thank You for forgiving me. Please let me know and fully love You. Help me to be what You intended when You made me to love You. Without You, I am nothing.”

Inspiration

Whenever self comes into the ascendant, the life of the Son of God in us is perverted and twisted; there is irritation, and His life suffers. Growth in grace stops the moment we get huffed.—Oswald Chambers in Grow Up Into Him

AFRAID

2009-12-20T23:15:00.003-08:00

My friend David Brown was in a bicycle accident and broke his neck. Aside from the reality that he should be dead, I cannot imagine how he felt when he was fully conscious and realized that he was dealing with significant paralysis.

Meditation

2 Chronicles 20:2-4—People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast multitude from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come to fight against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar (that is, En Gedi). Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he resolved to seek the LORD. So he proclaimed a fast for all Judah, who gathered to seek the LORD. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him.

An approaching army of astounding size moved in confidence to destroy the nation of Judah. King Jehoshaphat faced three nations intent on his eradication. No wonder he was afraid! He had several options. He could seek help from other kingdoms—a ploy frequently used. He could surrender and pay tribute to his captors. He could fight, but his army was badly outnumbered. Instead, he set his heart on God for help. Men, women and children from all around the country traveled to join him and they all literally stood together, waiting on the Lord to respond.

We honor God when we give our fear to Him. The Lord spoke directly to King Jehoshaphat and the gathered crowd through the prophet Jahaziel. He instructed them on how He would deliver them from their enemies (20:15-17). If you want to read an amazing battle account, read 2 Chronicles 20:18-30!

Like Jehoshaphat, David in his own fear had several options. He could give up and despair of life—overcome by the panic of no feeling and difficulty breathing. He could blame God for his accident and live in anger and bitterness. He could turn inward and cut out those around him. Instead, like that Judah king of old, he sought God choosing to worship Him. Daily, David covers fear with praise. He ministers to the nurses and doctors and prays for them as they provide therapy. Amazingly, he is regaining movement in his feet, hands and arms. He will walk again! Those around him cannot help but see the hand of the Almighty.

When fear fills your mouth so you can barely swallow, what do you do? How you evaluate, engage and emerge from what threatens you says much about where you invest your trust. Face your greatest enemies and know that God is greater. Give your horror to Him and peace emerges. Submit your terror to prayer and experience His arms. Death is stingless if Jesus is your selected Savior—something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

“Do not fear those who kill the body”—leave that alone, but beware of being disobedient to your own spiritual stand before God because that will kill both body and soul, that is, make you reprobate.—Oswald Chambers in The Servant as His Lord

VETERANS

2009-12-20T23:15:00.001-08:00

Meditation

Isaiah 42:13—The LORD advances like a warrior; He stirs up His zeal like a soldier. He shouts, He roars aloud, He prevails over His enemies.

For those who believe the military is an evil profession or who decry the wearing of a uniform and the responsibility that comes with it, please consider these thoughts.

1. The prophet Isaiah uses a warrior, a soldier to provide an analogy for God’s actions.

2. The man Jesus most admired for faith during His ministry on earth was not a Jew but rather a Roman centurion. (Matthew 8:5-10)

3. When Jesus died upon the cross, betrayed, beaten horribly and abandoned by His own followers, it was a centurion with fellow soldiers who truly recognized Him as God’s Son. (Mat. 27:53,54).

4. When God revealed to Peter that the gospel was to be preached not just to Jews but to the Gentiles, it was a centurion named Cornelius that he was sent. Cornelius and his family were mightily filled with the Holy Spirit to the astonishment of Peter. (Acts 10)

5. The Apostle Paul when mentoring Timothy, used the soldier as the model by which to teach Timothy about suffering and keeping free of worldly entanglements. (2 Timothy 2:3,4)

6. Before sending out His disciples a second time to minister, He instructed each without a sword to sell his robe in order to buy one. (Luke 22:35,36)

7. Nowhere in Scripture does God forbid serving in the military. Not once in the gospels do we find Jesus speaking against the Romans that occupied Israel, or forbidding believers from serving in the military. The reason for this is clear—so long as we live in a fallen world where evil is committed, we will need armies, police forces and civil defenders.

Perhaps the reason the Bible portrays soldiers favorably is because a soldier knows that he must be honorable and be willing to lay down his life for his nation if he is to be successful. Is it not true for followers of Christ, that we must be willing to live holy lives and to die if necessary to be true to our faith and allegiance to God? So on this Veterans Day, perhaps it would be good to remember about warriors:

They are not dead—they are alive. Men and women still serving—an ongoing expression of duty and devotion to the United States and the constitutional principles written in its foundation. Some are recently retired and look back with mixed emotions on a career that demanded sacrifice, created a “band of brothers” and wrought pain, joy, wisdom, and a cascading range of feelings born beneath a uniform. Some are aged and think back to their time when much was different and sacrifice was measured often by an entire nation gripped with war. They don’t understand so many of the values and thoughts espoused today but they stand ever tall to those hallowed words, duty, honor, country.

They are not dead—they are wounded. Some carry the hidden demons of horror and know the sweat-stained sheets of nights rolled in restless nightmare. Theirs is the burden of explosions, ambushes, the searing pain of bullets tearing flesh and the ever-present fear, “I might not make it.” Some have fought these memories of yesterday for decades, scarred as well by the shameful treatment they received by thoughtless citizens upon returning to the very people for whom they fought. Some are more recent returnees, mostly from deserts of searing heat and an enemy whose concept of life is as twisted as the metal fragments blown outward by their ideological hatred. These veterans left spouses and children, jobs and friends countless times to serve an overstretched military. They are the new faces of PTSD, the amazing heroes who sacrificed limbs and measured loss and yet still press forward to serve and to matter.

They are dead. They lie in ground known and unknown—silent testaments to sacrifice; souls in the hands of God. Some will rise to reward, all will rise for judgment. Male and female, they paid the ultimate price—laying down their lives for their comrades, their families, their friends, their countrymen and strangers in the very land they fought or worked. They no longer march but their ranks still pass us by. Their lineage is that of patriots.

These are your veterans—Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy and Marines. They deserve your moment of silent recognition. They appreciate deeply your thanks. Gratitude matters.

To all of you who serve, may God bless you and keep you safe and may God bless America.

Inspiration

Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved.—Martin Luther

AKABA

2009-12-20T23:14:00.001-08:00

In 1931, a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit took place in Rwanda. Believers in several nations prayed for God to transform Rwandan lives. Consequently, men and women became deeply convicted of their wrongdoing and in true repentance humbled themselves confessing their sins. Those who had wronged others apologized and made restitution. At the center of Rwandan revival, new believers were called Abaka, which meant “those on fire.” As A.C. Stanley Smith wrote in his book, Road to Revival, joy constantly reflected in the faces of these believers and everywhere they went they modeled powerful testimony.

Wherever the Holy Spirit transforms lives there is the unmistakable face marking of joy. An altered life is like a newly commissioned beacon. But a lit match is not the same as a roaring forest fire. When peace is elusive, famine common, water polluted, debt ascendant and emptiness a bestseller one or two new believers hardly garners the attention of the lost. This is a great time for us to pray for Abaka—a large harvesting of new believers!

Imagine what would happen if your city became so convicted of sin that instantaneously people fell on their knees and cried out to God for forgiveness! Can the Holy Spirit charge dead cells of entire neighborhoods with the roaring love of Jesus if they will cry out for the Savior? I believe He can and I suspect you do as well.

Meditation

2 Chronicles 7:13,14—If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Sin is a sure determinant in keeping God from awesomely working through His children to bring revival. If we are feeling the effects of divine punishment, we ought to understand that we have opportunity to apply a scriptural prescription found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. This inspired word from heaven tells us how to gain God’s favor which is a huge precursor to revival. First, we who are called by God’s name, must humble ourselves. Our pride is the sure symptom of spiritual dystrophy. Second, we must pray and seek God’s face. This is not a one-time formulaic prayer but rather a persevering heart cry! Alongside prayer comes our third step, we must turn from our wicked ways. God never flowers what sin waters. A historical study of revivals shows that when these conditions are present, God often brings Akaba.

Inspiration

If God’s people would only accept their sacred role as the army of God, if they would call one another to God’s priority of prayer, if they would join one another in militant, Spirit-guided, Spirit-anointed intercession, we could see Satan defeated and revival visitations descend from God. We could see the greatest harvest of souls we have ever known.—Wesley L. Duewel in Touch the World through Prayer

AUTHLICISM

2009-12-20T23:13:00.002-08:00

Often when I am driving on the road for long periods of time, I will tune in to listen to different radio talk shows. I have observed a pattern across the spectrum of those who claim to represent conservative America. Often they speak disrespectfully of politicians with statements like “he is an idiot” or “she is a moron.” They mockingly belittle the mental competency of their intended targets or accuse them of evil motives. Several of these hosts skillfully move between humor and anger and it is easy to be sucked into the emotion-charged airwaves.

Meditation

Romans 13:1-4—Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves . . . For government is God's servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God's servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.

While it is okay to speak out against corruption or question policy, we must be wary that we don’t become disrespectful and ugly towards those who are in positions of authority. For by judging and smearing those appointed to lead us, we give up the high ground of spiritual nobility for the sleazy soil of slander. By speaking against leaders, we may unwittingly speak against God for as the wise prophet Daniel noted, “He (God) changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21).

Watchman Nee wrote in Love Not The World, “Wherever in the world a nation’s government is left to itself, it follows its natural course which is further and further away from God.” But why camp on the bluff of disparagement? We know the world is an evil place—this is not some shocking revelation. Ought we not to pray for those in power? Shouldn’t we cry out to God to work His will, to redeem the unholy, to fix what is broken and to give us opportunity to be His rightful ambassadors? No government officials will find Jesus in the language of smear and vitriol spoken by those who claim to be His followers. Why wouldn’t authorities look to marginalize and hurt those engaged in destroying them verbally? Jesus said, “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28).

Not only should we pray for those who rule, we are expected to “Submit to every human institution because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority, or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.” (1 Peter 2:13,14). Paul coached Titus in a time of great governmental corruption to share with those he taught the following:

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, captives of various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. (Titus 3:1-3)

God never asks us to submit to laws or obey decrees that violate His moral and higher authority. For example, we have the right to refuse unlawful orders or lawful orders that put us in direct violation of what God commands. Peter respectfully reminded his Jewish authorities who ordered him not to mention the name of Christ, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Our challenge as God’s children is not to engage in conduct unbecoming saints. There is no glory in ruler-bashing or attacking leaders with saber-sharp language. I have coined a word for such behavior. I call it authlicism—criticizing those who are in positions of authority with disrespectful language. We don’t have to find satisfaction from our tongue; we should be living in victory through the One in our hearts who is Lord of all! Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

There is not a square inch in the whole domain of human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry out “Mine!”—Abraham Kuyper, former Dutch prime minister and theologian.

PROMISCUOUS

2009-12-20T23:13:00.001-08:00

One of the reasons I love to study the Bible is the amazing way God speaks to the times in which we live. Read what the prophet Hosea wrote to his countrymen sometime between 755 and 722 B.C. and see if his words speak to your nation.

Meditation

Hosea 4:1-14—Hear the word of the LORD, people of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge of God in the land! Cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another. For this reason the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes, along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky; even the fish of the sea disappear. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . . . They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply; for they have abandoned their devotion to the LORD. Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away [one's] understanding . . . For a spirit of promiscuity leads them astray; they act promiscuously in disobedience to their God . . . People without discernment are doomed.

At the root of our vast national decline is our lack of knowledge of God. We have abandoned a thirst to know Him with a craving to please our flesh. The result of this headlong plunge into pleasure is the replacement of truth with lies, the betrayal of fidelity for unabated lust and ignorance of God whereby cursing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery paint the walls of our cities. Degenerate people cause the land and all that live in it to suffer. Instead of the proliferation of evil driving people to return to God, the opposite occurs—an insatiable appetite screams for worse. The liturgy of promiscuity worships with two key words, “Please me!” For flesh to be gratified, anything based on truth must be discredited and labeled as intolerant and wrong. The Creator is disobeyed and unwise people are doomed.

So what do we do when society manifests all the signs of a freefall to hell? Certainly, this is not the time for isolation. Seclusion results in obsolescence (no longer useful). Hosea did not hide in the hills when Israel was dying; he took God’s message to the streets. Certainly, this is not the time to fear, cowardice only reaps defeat. This is not the time to doubt. God’s omnipresence is not earth-exclusive nor is His power muted by fools. This is not the time for brotherly backbiting! Unity is essential wherever ignorance and wickedness speak. This is the time to run after God, to seek His presence and in living for Him enable others to see Him. This is the time to know God. Anything that scorns or disdains pursuing Him is promiscuous.

Inspiration

A beetle in dung thinks himself a king.—Paul Vithayathil in Proverbs and Wise Sayings

VOID

2009-12-20T23:12:00.001-08:00

Have you ever boycotted a product because its maker was associated with wrongdoing? A company that endorses corruption or whose reputation is tainted by sleazy actions will not last long. Reputation is not something to be taken lightly.

Meditation

1 Chronicles 5:1—These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. He was the firstborn, but his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Rueben defiled his father’s bed. He is not listed in the genealogy according to birthright.

Reuben could have been one of the most popular names in the mideast and western world. As Jacob’s firstborn of twelve sons, he was the possessor of the birthright which entitled him to a double portion of inheritance (see Deuteronomy 21:15-17) and royal succession might have followed through his sons. Unfortunately, Reuben made a huge blunder. Genesis 35: 22 records, “While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it.” This was an outrageous affront, a brazen act of disrespect to his dad. Unfortunately, it was not the only thing Reuben did wrong. He had a reputation for being “turbulent as water.” On Israel’s deathbed as he spoke final words over his sons, he refrained from blessing Reuben, instead telling him he would no longer excel (Gen. 49:4). His birthright went to Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Rueben’s tribe never really amounted to much.

If history ran its normal course, do you realize that you and I would be void? Because a holy God cannot associate with evil, by His own right standard of justice we should be eternally separated from His presence. In effect, we would have no spiritual inheritance. I don’t know about you, but I (too my shame), can think of many things I have done that were wrong, that clearly violated God’s law. I am guilty. I have no excuse. My tribe of one, would be exiled forever to some superheated plot in hell were it not for Jesus.

If sin makes us void, grace makes us valid. But we have to renounce our sin and follow Jesus to receive that grace. If we continuously choose to ignore what God wants, to have what we want, then grace clearly is not at work in us. A life changed by the Holy Spirit resists sin. A life continually running after sin will fill a space void of God and void of meaning.

Inspiration

“Void” means the aftermath of destruction by judgement, or the result of Divine judgement.—Oswald Chambers in Biblical Psychology

ANGELS

2009-12-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

On several occasions, I have read or heard amazing testimonies of people who experienced God’s deliverance via angels from an enemy intent on their destruction. God’s Word extensively teaches us about angels with over a 105 references to them in the Old Testament and more than 170 times in the New Testament. The Bible teaches that angels:

· were created by God prior to earth’s creation—Psa. 148:2-5.

· initially were all good, but when Lucifer turned against God, he was able to coax a large number into following him in rebellion. We call evil angels demons—Rev. 12:9.

· take orders from God and serve Him by intervening, instructing or rescuing God’s children—Gen. 16:9; 19; 24:40; Psa. 91:11; Luke 1:26-28.

· drive out/destroy enemies so as to help God’s people and powerfully serve as God’s instruments of punishment and judgment and will one day gather and separate the wicked from the righteous—Exo. 33:2; 2 Sa. 24:16,17; 2 Ki. 19:35; Psa. 103:20; Mat. 13:41,49; Rev. 7:2.

· are incorporeal (without material form) and often invisible—Num. 22:25-31; Heb. 1:14.

· can appear as people—Gen. 18:1-8; Heb. 13:2.

· immediately transport from place to place not effected by fire or elements on earth—Jud. 6:21; 13:20.

· are completely reliable as God’s servants—1 Sa. 29:9.

· are able through God to predict future events to people—Jud 13:3.

· evidently eat food in heaven—Psa. 78:25.

· praise the Lord and live in His presence in heaven—Psa. 103:20, 148:2; Rev. 7:11.

· appear to people in dreams to provide instruction—Mat. 2:13.

· may actually be assigned (guardians) to protect people—Mat.18:10.

· are unmarried and pattern what we will experience after the resurrection—Mat. 22:30.

· can bring healing to people—John 5:4.

· help bring the gospel message to the lost—Acts 10:22.

· will return with Jesus when He comes back—Mat. 25:31.

· are prominent in heaven and seem to have a rank structure—Luke 12:8,9 Eph. 1:20,21; Col. 1:16.

· experience emotions such as joy and have their own mind (wisdom) and will—Luke 15:10; 2 Sam. 14:20; Rev. 22:8,9.

· are eternal—Luke 20:36.

· are not to be worshiped but must themselves worship God—Col. 2:18; Heb. 1:6.

· are countless in number—Rev. 5:11.

· fight against Satan and his demons—Rev.12:7.

Meditation

1 Kings 19:5-7—Then he [Elijah] lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the LORD returned a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”

Elijah, on the heels of a great victory over false prophets went into a panic when the wicked queen of Israel, Jezebel, threatened to murder him. He fled for his life and yet in the midst of great despair to the point of giving up on life, God sent an angel to minister to him. Elijah didn’t ask God to dispatch an angel to rescue him. The Bible doesn’t tell us if he even recognized his benefactor as an angel. It just informs us that he was strengthened by the food and water he received.

Do you ever wonder if God protects your life or provides for you supernaturally through an angel? Angels did not cease working after the time of the apostles—nowhere does the Bible even hint to such a thing. So we can safely assume that they are active on the earth serving God’s purposes today. This encourages me to be more alert for them, to live more obediently since angels may be observing my behavior, and to be more mindful that when I am in trouble, it makes good sense to call out to God for His help. He has an enormous body of beings able to make a difference. We are not alone and that’s something to think about . . . in reveration!

BOWLING

2009-12-20T23:08:00.002-08:00

The difference between a strike and a split is but a matter of inches. If the bowling ball hits the center pocket correctly, all ten pins fall down. But if the ball veers just slightly off its intended course all kinds of crazy formations can appear to include the dreaded split where pins are left standing on opposite sides of the lane. I had my share of splits last night as the bowling ball just missed the strike zone!

Meditation

Psalm 25:4-5—Make Your ways known to me, LORD; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long.

When I try to live life on my terms, I have a great idea of what needs to happen. Unfortunately, the result of self-determination is truth deviation. My path leads to problems. To negotiate life correctly, I need to be on God’s path. King David was probably not a bowler, but he knew all about center pocket living. Here’s what he reveals in Psalm 25.

1. We need the Lord to show us His ways. His ways are perfect! This calls for prayer on our part—asking for God’s help.

2. We need to be teachable so we can learn God’s paths. This calls for humility.

3. We have to be malleable so that God is able to guide us in His truth. This calls for flexibility and a willingness to be directed.

4. Our eyes have to look to God for His direction at all times. This calls for patience and eyes that look not to the world but to God for instruction.

Psalm 25 offers more great news.

The LORD is good and upright; therefore He shows sinners the way. He leads the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. All the LORD’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenant and decrees . . . Who is the person who fears the LORD? He will show him the way he should choose. (vs. 8-10,12)

Despite our tendency to find the gutter, God is willing to show us His way. He honors the humble by revealing His leading will. His mannerisms are full of love as we do our part to obey Him. When we revere Him, He reveals for us. Given what God offers isn’t it amazing how quick we are to ignore Him or miss His instruction and try and negotiate life by our own stubborn will! Let’s remember where our salvation comes from and live accordingly!

Inspiration

Prosperity in home, in business, and in every way comes from following God’s instructions in each detail.—Oswald Chambers in Biblical Psychology

DIRT

2009-12-20T23:08:00.001-08:00

The Last 100 Yards is the National Infantry Museum’s signature exhibit. Figures cast from current soldiers make up the life-like scenes representing eight wars fought by Americans. As guests make their way into the museum, they walk up a 100-yard-long gently inclining ramp, which signifies the infantry’s role in taking the last 100 yards of any battle. As I walked the ramp with four other officers, the sights, sounds and solemn feel of the exhibit breathed sacrifice. We had already progressed part way when Mr. Talley, an elderly guide, asked if he could share with us the significance of what we were seeing. He proudly discussed the detailed planning and symbolism behind each section. He shared of the tears and the deep emotion felt by many veterans and their families who visited the museum just outside Fort Benning, Georgia, in the past two months since its opening.

Mr. Talley really got our attention when he directed our gaze out the window to the new parade field. Enlisted soldiers attending Officer Candidate School (OCS) now graduate before a grandstand instead of on a parking lot. Soil was carefully transported to this field from eight battlegrounds; dirt from places where Americans fought in our Revolutionary War, Yorktown, the Civil War, World Wars I & II, Viet-Nam, Korea and Iraq. Among the soil spreaders were descendants of Alexander Hamilton, Theodore Roosevelt and Alvin York, as well as Lieutenant General Hal Moore and Command Sergeant Basil Plumley, who led the historic assault on the Viet Cong at Landing Zone X-Ray. Before OCS graduates march onto the parade field, they learn they will take their oath of allegiance on grass grown in dirt their descendants once shed blood to liberate.

Meditation

2 Kings 5:17—Naaman responded, “If not, please let two mule-loads of dirt be given to your servant, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but Yahweh.”

We come from dirt and dirt holds meaning. General Naaman, commander of the King of Aram’s army, became a worshiper of Israel’s God after He healed him of his leprosy. Naaman asked the prophet Elisha to allow him to take dirt from the land of Israel back to his own country so he could offer burnt offerings to God on earth he considered special. His cause was made certain by His Liberator.

If the stuff of dust can stir our hearts, imagine what the new earth God is planning will be like when we live with Him and all His glory! No longer will sin-infected blood spill on tainted soil. We will live with Jesus in our new eternal bodies. And each of us will be a museum testifying forever to the truth and light of Him who made us and loves us. We were taken from the ground that we might be given meaning beyond meaning.

Inspiration

People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.—Plato

ELDERS

2009-12-20T23:07:00.002-08:00

As the Apostle Peter neared the end of his life he wrote powerful words of instruction to those who were leaders of God’s people. Coming alongside special men, Peter urged them to shepherd God’s flock. Then he carefully defined what their motives and attitudes should look like. Those same penetrating words of truth ring applicable to us today.

Meditation

1 Peter 5:1-4—Therefore, as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of the Messiah, and also a participant in the glory about to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you: shepherd God's flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God's will; not for the money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Elders must oversee people of the church free of compulsion and with great sensitivity to knowing God’s will. Their decision-making should not revolve around how they are wired, how the crowd feels, or because of peer pressure. They make decisions because they have listened to the Holy Spirit! For this motive to succeed requires quality time spent in understanding God’s Word and frequent communication with Him in prayer.

Elders lead with strong enthusiasm and zeal, not for the money or for benefits. The key to this motive ties into a correct understanding of treasure. Jesus taught, “But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew. 6:20-21)

Elders are not to be bossy, domineering chiefs over the people God gives them. The key to their authority is humility! Great elders bring a foot-washing mentality to those they are committed to helping spiritually grow. Beware of leaders enamored with title or position and who seem to need to dominate or control people so as to constantly get their way. Such leaders reject the cloth the Carpenter wore to don the robes of Pharisees.

Elders must serve as proper examples. This calls for an attitude of godliness fueled by love. Elders before acting or making major decisions should ask, “What would Jesus do?” They should value holiness, protect their character and God’s reputation and be lifelong learners. Because they adore God, they live out a love for people that allows them to feel safe and valued in their presence. Have you noticed how gentle and kind those who walk with the Lord become as they mature? Godly elders are like honey that nourishes and leaves the eyes bright and the body healthy.

In return for providing godly leadership, God promises elders an unfading crown of glory. How much better to have heavenly splendor than earthly reward that vanishes with time!

Lord, bless those You have placed in authority. Remove those who tarnish Your name. Strengthen, equip and give courage to those committed to serving You by serving others. And help us Lord to set aside our selfish agendas and do a better job of encouraging and blessing those who sacrifice much to make us better. Amen.

SAVONAROLA

2009-12-20T23:07:00.001-08:00

Roman Catholic monk Girolamo Savonarola, (September 21, 1452 – May 23, 1498), was shocked by the immorality in Italy and by the corruption he observed within the church. As a teenager, he walked beside the River Po where he sang to God and wept over the condition of the people. At the age of 22, he wrote “Contempt of the World,” comparing the sins of his time to Sodom and Gomorrah. Years later, while praying, the Holy Spirit gave him a vision in which he was told to announce to the people that hard times were coming to the church.

Savonarola obeyed God and was a powerful speaker against the evil he observed. Boldly he prophesied that Florence’s ruler, the pope and the king of Naples would die within a year because of their sins and they did. For over eight years, he preached from the largest cathedral in Florence, Italy. Great revival broke out as people repented of their sins and sought to obey God. Heavily convicted, people brought their obscene pictures, wicked literature and anything associated with evil. Their possessions made a pyramid over sixty feet high and 240 feet in circumference. Someone lit the pile and as the huge bonfire burned, the people sang hymns.

Outraged by this upstart monk, the corrupt religious leaders eventually incited a mob which broke down the convent doors where Savonarola stayed. They tortured him, tied his hands and repeatedly hoisted him to a great height and dropped him dislocating his shoulders and tearing his muscles. But the faithful priest refused to recant. Eventually, with two other monks, before thousands of onlookers, the three men were hung and their bodies burned. Savonarola’s last words were, “Should I not die willingly for Him who suffered so much for me?” His life, ministry and death greatly influenced a young man who knew and observed him. We know this man as Martin Luther.[1]

Meditation

Hebrews 11:13-16—These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been remembering that land they came from, they would have had opportunity to return. But they now aspire to a better land—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

The greatest need for our nation is not universal health care but rather a universal Healer. Turn on the television, surf the net, observe the direction our country is going and tell me how we morally exceed the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. What disease is worse than immorality? Who is weeping?

The greater need for our land is not a strong dollar but rather to live up to the words on our coins, “In God We Trust.” See the foreclosure signs, the long lines of unemployed, and the pain they represent. But what about the eternal loss, the inability to ever live with God in mansions Jesus prepared because He is rejected! Who is weeping?

Find your River Po and walk with God. Renounce whatever keeps you from holy living and grieve over evil. Listen to what the Holy Spirit wants to say to you. If you will pray and speak up for what is right in God’s sight, He may use you to be a Savonarola. Better to be a martyr for truth and die prematurely in God’s hands, than live old for what will burn.

Inspiration

A man who sees himself seated with Christ in Heaven, in the very presence of a God to whom the angels cry out, “Holy, holy, holy,” won’t spend his evenings viewing Internet pornography.—Randy Alcorn in Heaven

FLYING

2009-12-20T23:06:00.000-08:00

He pulled out a large, black Bible, a beautifully gold tabbed one, and grabbed a pen. I watched from a row behind and to the left of him. Twice on our flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta, he pulled out his Bible and read—not just a cursory reading, I could tell he was intent on what he was studying. He wore neatly pressed tan slacks and a polo shirt—I would guess by his age he is in his fifties.

I talked to the man sitting next to me for quite some time. He works for a petroleum company based in Santiago, Chile. He and his wife have two boys aged eleven and ten that are polar opposites. He graduated from a college in Boston and is a big Red Sox baseball fan. He was dressed in fatigue-patterned shorts and wore a casual shirt. I liked his easygoing demeanor and we had fun chatting. I would guess he is in his mid thirties but his boyish looks made him look much younger. He ordered an alcoholic drink, pulled out his laptop and went to work as we winged our way south.

Two very different men by age, dress, and probably by conviction bound for the same city but what kind of an eternity? When I got off the plane, I caught up to the Bible reader. I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “You have to tell me your name?” He looked startled, pulled back from me and asked, “Why?” I told him I was impressed with his reading material on the plane. He broke into a grin and said, “Rick.” I told him my name and gave him my First Cause business card and told him I would enjoy praying for him, and that I lived near, Portland, Oregon. He thanked me and found his own card and handed it to me. He shared that he and his wife would be in Portland in a week. I hope he calls me. I noticed from his card that he is the CEO of a company located in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

On my next flight, I pulled out my Bible—thankful for Rick’s example.

Meditation

Ephesians 3:7,11,12—I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of His power . . . This is according to the purpose of the ages, which He made in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness, access, and confidence through faith in Him.

I’m flying. The words in my headphones resonate to my heart. “I’ll never know how much it cost to see Your Son upon that cross . . . but here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that You’re my God.”* I’m flying. Lord, I’m surrounded by men and women, little children crying, flight attendants working in the cramped space of a craft flying 35,000 feet above the earth, each one precious in Your sight. But how many of them know You? Please help me to be Your choice ambassador. Help me to encourage others. Let the joy in my heart overflow upon some parched soul. Let me love You so passionately that I radiate Your presence. You made the now, help me to live it rightly. I’m flying.

Inspiration

Lifestyle evangelism is not an attempt to decorate and shine the pot; folks need to see the treasure, not the container. Only a broken container lets the radiance of the treasure penetrate the darkness.—Joseph Aldrich in Gentle Persuasion

*Here I am to Worship written by Tim Hughes

SCANDAL

2009-12-20T23:05:00.002-08:00

He jumped in too early. A white policeman arrested a prominent black professor, and eager journalists needled President Obama to answer before he knew all the facts. He misspoke. Perhaps a lingering frustration gave birth to an unfortunate vetting. That silence can be golden is an understatement for a man besieged by microphones. Our society is sensitive to racial harmony—and should we be surprised, given that our melting pot is a degree away from a boiling kettle!

Meditation

Jeremiah 37:11-14—When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army, Jeremiah [started to] leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there among the people. But when he was at the Benjamin Gate, an officer of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, and he apprehended Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are deserting to the Chaldeans." "[That's] a lie," Jeremiah replied. "I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!" Irijah would not listen to him but apprehended Jeremiah and took him to the officials.

All he was trying to do was claim property he bought in Anathoth from his cousin Hanamel; land he spent 17 shekels of silver to buy. But Irijah was convinced that Jeremiah, the prophet of doom, was making an opportune break to join the Chaldean enemy. Despite Jeremiah’s pleas of innocence, he was beaten and thrown in the dungeon.

Scandals are either real or falsely perceived. We assign fault and rather than search for the underlying truth or cause of the problem, we look for ropes and cry for a hanging. We see disgrace and disregard grace. We interpret facts through human lens often disturbingly marked as nearsighted.

Note what Jesus did when the religious leaders brought before Him a woman caught in the act of committing adultery. She was dripping in scandal. But this was an outrage of opportunity. The scribes and Pharisees cleverly hoped the Messiah would collaborate with Moses and issue the call for rocks. They really didn’t care to stone the gal—adultery was fairly common. They knew it was against the Roman law to put a person to death. This was their opportunity to spread dishonor from a loose lady to the Son of Man they hoped to permanently tarnish. All they needed was for Him to issue a decree. But He ignored their question until their persistent nagging reached His “enough.” He stood up and uttered those famous words, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7).

Find the truth before you grab your gun. Let time elapse before you hastily speak words that may ring in the sky like some rapacious thunder. Pray and then pray some more—for the accused and for discernment. Scandal is not the sister of prudence. There is plenty of sin to go around, may God help us behave like saints for a change.

Inspiration

Scandal should be treated as you treat mud on your clothes. If you try and deal with it while it is wet, you rub the mud into the texture, but if you leave it till it is dry you can flick it off with a touch, it is gone without a trace. Leave scandal alone, never touch it.—Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

FAITHFULNESS

2009-12-20T23:05:00.001-08:00

The nation of Israel pretty much did everything possible to anger and alienate God. They exceeded the sins of the evil nations He commanded them to destroy. Repeatedly they quit following Him. They broke His heart and deserved annihilation which really makes His statement below more than amazing.

Meditation

Jeremiah 31:37—This is what the LORD says: If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below explored, I will reject all of Israel's descendants because of all they have done—[this is] the LORD's declaration.

God is giving us a formula through His prophet Jeremiah: If A (heaven measured) and B (earth’s foundations explored) then C (Israel’s descendants rejected). Scientists with all their amazing technology and brilliance are incapable of measuring the heavens or exploring earth’s foundations. Since man is incapable of fulfilling A or B, God will not reject Israel’s descendants. What we have is the formula of faithfulness stated inversely to what we would expect, and with a touch of brilliance, a quick reading misses. God is the epitome of faithfulness to His children—the embodiment of unfaithfulness—what a paradox! Seven times the Lord’s faithfulness is extolled in Psalm 89. Notice in verse 1 the extent of it. “I will sing about the LORD's faithful love forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.”

What does this mean to us? Do you ever wonder if your salvation is secure because of sin you’ve committed? Do you ever struggle with the thought that God might not let you into heaven? I imagine there is not an honest Christian who has not lived with such doubt. But consider this. In John 10:28 Jesus states, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.” This is not a wishy-washy commitment God is making but rather an unequivocal (absolute) promise to anyone who has placed faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior! “For this is the will of My Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:40).

In 1 Corinthians 1:8,9, Paul teaches, “He will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Notice that our salvation is not tied to our ability but rather to God’s faithfulness which is a follow-up to His calling us to Himself! To be discouraged and to fear for our salvation, if we are Jesus-followers, is really to question His word and His capability of delivering what He promised. Don’t go there!

Inspiration

When God gives an earnest, nothing can vitiate his divine guarantee.—R.C. Sproul in What is Reformed Theology?

INTIMACY

2009-12-20T23:04:00.002-08:00

Why do followers of God go through the motions of Christianity shallowly in love with their Father? What does it mean and look like to have an intimate walk with Jesus? Spiritual Intimacy can be defined as a growing I can’t live without You relationship with God that is our first cause, our abiding joy and our natural expression.

I. To value intimacy we must work to understand who God is and how much He loves me! As my mentor, Paul Drake likes to say, “What is love? GOD!” 1 John 4:16 teaches, “And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.” John 3:16 reveals the depth of God’s love for us and 14:16-17 shows love applied. God does not just talk about loving us, He chooses through His Spirit to indwell us!

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn't see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.—John 14:16-17

II. To attain intimacy, God must be part of our daily lives and we cannot take Him for granted. Expecting to gain a cherished friendship with God just through church attendance is as silly as thinking a few meals a week will keep our bodies healthy! We need a regular love language that saturates our soul. Lord, I love You! Thank you for today and the privilege of serving You. Help me to know You better. Lord, what would You have me learn about You today and what do You want from me?

III. To protect intimacy we must follow God’s leading which is crystal clear. We learn in Deuteronomy 6:5 and 10:12 that He expects us to love Him with all our heart, soul and strength; to fear Him, walk in His ways and worship Him. The longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, is devoted to teaching the importance of God’s Word! Intimacy requires valuing what He says and doing what He asks. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Holiness, which is a great indicator of intimacy, comes through godly obedience.

It is impossible to be intimate with a hard heart!
It is impossible to be intimate while living in sin!
It is impossible to be intimate with conflicting loyalties

So many people give up on the possibility of a deep relationship with God because of sin, after all, how could God love anyone contaminated! Yet, each of us understands that the way to get rid of dirt is to bathe. Is it any different spiritually? If we sin, we need to clean up what is wrong, repent and ask God for His restoring forgiveness. See David’s example in Psalm 51! My dad reminded me of Luke 7:37,38. Here we discover a sinful woman who sought out Jesus. She stood behind Him at His feet weeping and then washed them with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them and then anointed them with expensive perfume. Her focus was completely on Jesus. Her heart was honest and broken. She didn’t care what the religious people thought. This is the stuff of intimacy!

IV. To sustain intimacy we must steadfastly commit to a God-centric, life mission! My life mission is to sursplaciously (with my absolute best) advance in love with God (worship), be a godly husband and father; wisely serve {First Cause/Army}; treat people as Jesus would; and correctly discern and walk in alignment with God’s will for my life.

Too often, I run into folks who lost their friendship with Jesus to misplaced priorities. As Paul Drake shares, we can be so busy in the work of the Lord that we neglect the Lord of the work! Too often dashed dreams, unrealized hopes, or lives bashed upon the rocks of misfortune kill one’s resolve to know Christ. Don’t let this happen. Pursue God passionately as you would seek water for a famished tongue. He pursued you to the cross. He loved you from the grave. He saved You from on high! That is something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

More than anything else, a passion for God has to be guarded and cultivated or we will lose it. I find that almost every good think in my life is all too ready to compete for my time and intimacy with God.—Jack Deere in Surprised By The Power Of The Spirit

DECEPTION

2009-12-20T23:04:00.001-08:00

Deception is a technique employed by the military on occasion to help win campaigns or to influence the battlefield so that the enemy is confused as to our real intent. In the battle of Normandy in World War II, a large deception campaign was orchestrated which utilized fake machinery, misleading radio traffic and a mock buildup of troops to confuse the Germans as to the real landing sites where the allied forces would land in France. Throughout many wars, psychological operations have played a key role in helping influence the enemy and the population of a country where forces operate. For four years I served in a Psychological Operations Company—part of the Army Reserves that works tactically and operationally.

Our leaders taught us that it is always the best policy to operate by the truth. The reason for this is simple. If what we communicate to an audience is a lie, we lose our credibility. Thus, the best means to win the hearts and minds of people is to tell the truth. A good Psyop company is also adept at spotting the deception the enemy uses and then exposing those lies so that a population can discern what is truly happening.

Meditation

Jeremiah 9:6—You live in a world of deception. In their deception they refuse to know Me. This is the LORD’s declaration.

Deception is nothing new. The prophet Jeremiah, speaking for the Lord, challenged his own people, the Israelites, with the reality that they were deceiving each other on a regular basis by spreading slander, betrayal, speaking lies and doing wrong. What brought a people whose history was rich with the active hand of a loving Father to a place of sham?

First, they collectively had poor eyesight. When God liberated them from Egypt and took them towards Canaan, they continually looked back with a myopic lust for their former condition. As landowners in the Promised Land, they could not take their eyes off the practices of their enemies—they rejected God’s leadership so as to have their own king (see 1 Samuel 8:4-8). Their eyes constantly focused on their surroundings and not their Leader.

Second, they had hard hearts. Consistently, Israel gave up God’s gold for fools’ gold. He gave them His Word; they preferred the laws of their neighbors. He asked for their loyalty, they chose to lust after manmade idols. He demanded their obedience; they chose to do whatever they pleased. They were ripe for deception because they disdained His truth.

We judge them as a foolish people but in truth are we much different? We say God is our first cause but are our priorities really fashioned after possessions, feeding our amusements or building whatever suits our needs? Do we make worship into a Sunday gathering structured and formatted into a controlled segment while our weeks are mostly devoid of God? Do we claim to be followers of Christ yet are too embarrassed to tell our neighbors and coworkers about Him for fear we might be ridiculed or misunderstood? Do we give the appearance that all is fine when in reality we wonder where God is and if He really loves us? If so, deception has as firm a grip on us as it did them.

Lest we think that we would never compromise our integrity, consider this. We live in an age of deception. Increasingly, our media, our courts and our leaders redefine what we once knew to be true as now untrue. Institutions such as marriage and family are under constant attack by those committed to their undoing. Men revise history to suit present values. Sexual perversion is made out to be a civil right. Adherence to moral principles is labeled fanaticism. Those who speak according to their convictions are called haters. Those who point out misconduct are labeled racist or intolerant. A daily, steady assault persists to label good as evil and evil as good. This is nothing more than a psychological campaign led by Satan himself—that great hater of Truth and master of deception. He started his first lie in the Garden of Eden and he shows no signs of slowing down.

God promised Jeremiah that the Israelites would be soundly tested and punished for giving in to deception. “Should I not punish them for these things? This is the LORD’s declaration. Should I not take My revenge against a nation such as this?” (Jer. 9:9) He will do the same soon to our nation. He will not idly condone illicit behavior and corrupted truth. If we are to be God’s people, we must repent of all that violates His law and pursue His clearly communicated truth. To do anything less is to live a lie and that is not worth the consequences.

Inspiration

Our critical faculties are given us for the purpose of self-examination, and the way to examine ourselves under the control of the Spirit of God is to ask ourselves—“Am I less sensitive than I used to be to the indications of God’s will, less sensitive regarding purity, uprightness, goodness, honesty and truth?”—Oswald Chambers in Our Brilliant Heritage

INSECURITY

2009-12-20T23:03:00.000-08:00

National holidays can provide a natural period for introspection. As we approach yet another celebration of our nation's independence, I think this year of the word insecurity. In the 1770’s when our forefathers fought for the freedom we celebrate today, they lived in a time of great tumult. Consider this: they faced an opponent far superior in wealth and military might; they knew starvation, harsh weather and disease; they lacked basic supplies in armament, clothing and supplies; and they did not always know who was truly for or against them. But in the midst of uncertainty, doubt and despair the trumpet call for liberty persisted. Men and women strove mightily to worship, speak, live and work upon the foundation of freedom. For that self-determination, insecure lives bled nobly; though pained, pilgrims refused to give up; trepidation clung to truth and the right to dispel tyranny.

Yesterday the stock market dropped over 220 points in the arms of insecurity—the highest unemployment rate (9.4%) in 26 years. The Labor Department reported that employers cut 467,000 jobs in June, on top of the 322,000 jobs lost in May. Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan awake each morning unsure where an enemy committed to terror might attack them. North Korea fired off more missiles and behaves in an increasingly bellicose manner. Many wonder if the recent swine flu pandemic is the precursor to a global health disaster. Televisions display bizarre weather patterns as states battle prolonged drought, tornadoes and flooding. While our challenges are different in some ways then those of America's first citizens on July 4, 1776, they are also eerily familiar. Insecurity is not confined to one generation it is passed forward and without regard to race, position or creed.

Meditation

Psalm 4:8—I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, LORD, make me live in safety.

7:10—My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.

18:2—The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my mountain where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

So let us pause and reflect on the fourth of July. Let us be certain that while we face challenges, we are also uncommonly blessed. Unlike so many places where children wake up not knowing what they will eat, we have the Bread of Life. Unlike so many unable to work, we serve a compassionate Father who promises to meet our need. Even in the midst of oppression which rages like some uncontrolled forest fire, we have a future through Jesus that is permanent and safe. We are able to worship God. We are adorned with hope and mostly able to sleep in the peace that surpasses understanding. In the soil of insecurity, our roots remain fed by grace. Don’t let the times fool you and don’t fool with the times—stay secure in Jesus. Happy Fourth of July!

Inspiration

What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts.—George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist, 1856-1950

CRITTERS

2009-12-20T23:02:00.002-08:00

Tuesday morning I was sitting next to two students in a van as we headed off towards our classes. I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. The guy shared with the gal about how he was staying in a motel in Hawaii one time and saw a centipede in his room. He was told that they can bite and cause quite an infection and so it concerned him. That night as he was ready to go to sleep, he saw a gecko, an indigenous lizard. He did not realize that it is a good thing to have a lizard in his room (they eat bugs). Unnerved and unable to sleep, he had the person at the front desk move him to another room.

Wednesday night, while reading email, a centipede walked across the air conditioning unit in my room. I’m used to growing up around cockroaches, ants, bees and spiders so it didn’t bother me. But at three in the morning, something ran across my chest, jumped on to the nightstand and then scampered towards the far wall. Now that woke me up and was rather freaky! I got up, turned on the light but could not see critters. I realized the bedspread was touching the floor making it very easy for anything to crawl into or across my bed, so I pulled the bedspread off and tried to go back to sleep. The next morning I asked the front desk what creatures they had in their place—mice, cockroaches, etc. The gal said she didn’t know of any mice or big bug problems but she felt terrible I had such an unpleasant experience. She volunteered that she would move me if only she had a free room! I told it was okay I’d stay where I was.

Meditation

Psalm 23:3—He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.

Thursday night—could I sleep not knowing what might come out or be lurking in the shadows? Psalm 23:3 provided the solution. God renews my life. He gives me the right perspective, strength and sleep. I don’t have to fear what I can’t see or catch, I have to trust the Replenisher. God knows my room—part of the right path for His name’s sake. Does that seem silly or out of place? Does He really get involved in as small a thing as room placement?

How can He lead us in the right direction if He doesn’t know or care where we are? Life is full of things that can bug us. So we have to make a choice—we either lose sleep over what concerns us, or we trust that the Lord is able to get us where we need to be. The test for rest is trust. Could it be that God allowed me to overhear a man’s bad hotel experience to measure my attitude? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that to complain about the room or lay awake wondering, might be to question the path. Lord thanks for renewal. Please keep me You-focused.

Inspiration

So, then, mind-renewal first involves the daily willingness to let God teach us His perspective, so that it might become ours.—Margaret Thatcher in The Freedom of Obedience

MEDDLING

2009-12-20T23:02:00.001-08:00

I met Russ in the Joint Reserves Officer Course we are both taking. We went to church on Sunday and had lunch together—both missing our families on Father’s Day. Russ is a Captain in the Navy and a Delta pilot. He and I found we shared many things in common. Our time fellowshipping was quite enjoyable.

Russ mentioned that while in college he once led a time of worship at a spiritual rally. Afterwards, one of the ministry leaders commented that he seemed to thrive and really enjoy leading worship. Russ agreed and shared that he could easily see himself serving as a worship leader in the future. Then something unexpected happened. The mentor asked Russ when he was going to let go of song leading and really get on with doing what was important. Wanting to please him, Russ dutifully set aside his guitar and never played again.

Meditation

Romans 12:16—Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

The context of the passage above (see 12:3-18) has to do with recognizing that God specifically gifts His followers and that we are to be humble about the way we view ourselves and sensitive to what is true in the lives of fellow Christians. I confess my spirit was riled when Russ shared about setting aside his guitar to please the dictates of men in an organization devoted to training Christians. What happened to Russ happens too often in Christianity and it is one of several reasons why we as a body of Christ are ineffective in reaching our world.

The Holy Spirit under God’s direction gifts each believer. When these gifts are recognized, nurtured and allowed to flourish, team development is fabulous and local communities see firsthand the power of God at work. Unfortunately, too often, well-meaning leaders suppress gifts or activity they view as secondary so as to accomplish the particular bent of their local body or organization.

The problem with downplaying or suppressing the giftedness of a brother or sister is that this constitutes meddling. Meddling is involving oneself in a matter without right or invitation; it is interfering and intrusive. It does not matter if it is well-intentioned, the results can be extremely harmful. To meddle is to be a junior holy spirit. I think we meddle for several reasons. For some, it is a need to control, which is truly a symptom of insecurity. For others, it is a fixation on a narrow band of truth that is excusive of God’s broader band and bigger intentions. For others it is a failure to appreciate what they do not understand and a fear of imbalance by the emergence of other gifts. Only if moved by the Holy Spirit in accordance with God’s Word do we have the right to prescribe.

To suggest that someone should set aside leading worship for other activity is blatantly unscriptural. God made us to worship Him! Russ’s ability to grow in intimacy with his Father through talents bestowed upon him and to be an encourager to others was lost by the counsel of a meddler. Instead of praising God for gifting Russ and encouraging him, his leader was “wise in his own estimation,” demeaning the creative infusion of the Spirit. To insist that believers function in a manner confined to our building standards is to bludgeon the possibility of spiritual intimacy surfacing in our fellowship. We are scratching stones instead of polishing gems. We are playing god and we will one day stand accountable for our presumptuous interference. Don’t meddle.

Inspiration

Where the Holy Spirit is allowed to do His work, Jesus Christ will be glorified and others will be drawn to Him.—Dale Galloway in 20/20 Vision

THE LIFTER

2009-12-20T23:01:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I bartered for a Sheltie puppy (5 cases of dehydrated food [MREs], two music stands and an old amplifier)! I brought the 10-week-old, tri-color pup home from Silverton, Oregon and he and Hero, our Lab puppy, are fast becoming best friends. Hero is about 55 pounds larger, but that does not seem to intimidate our newest addition—Saber. It is hilarious watching them joust and wrestle and playfully bite.

Yesterday, our neighbor Chris, rang the doorbell and informed us that Saber was trapped in our fishpond and swimming as hard as he could. I ran around to the back yard and discovered an amazing sight. Hero had jumped into the pond and was paddling right beside Saber, evidently providing moral support. As soon as Hero saw me, he easily jumped out, jumped on me and got me soaking wet as I lifted little Saber out of the water. Wow, those two dogs were so happy they just took off running!

Meditation

Psalm 3:2,3—Many say about me, “There is no help for him from God.” But You, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head.

King David faced a time in his life when the attacks of his enemies seemed overwhelming. Even those who knew him concluded God had turned His back on His servant. I wonder how many times we encounter such severe problems or are so assailed that even our friends write us off as doomed? How many times are we rapidly paddling to keep our heads above water, unable on our own to extricate ourselves!

David did not agree with his critics. He recognized that God was his protection—the lifter of his head. “I cry aloud to the LORD, and He answers me from His holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me. I am not afraid of the thousands of people who have taken their stand against me on every side” (verses 4-6). How about you—are you able to sleep in peace? Are you confident the Lord hears your voice and will answer? Does it drag you down when those who know you conclude God is not looking after you? So often, we look at our problems or our enemies and worry. God looks at us and desires worship. The One who made us is unintimidated by our fiascos. In truth, opposition and hardship ought to bring out faith not disconsolateness (dejection).

Don’t buy in to the commentary of bystanders or believe the word of the enemy that your God does not care. That is a phony piece of interpretation from a master liar. Your God is better than your worst nightmare; more powerful than your scariest adversaries. So make Him your shield! Call on Him! He will lift your head, pull you out of the pond of despair, dry you off and bless you with the inside-out warming love of an all-compassionate Father! That’s something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

Spiritual bondage to the world is a fruit of spiritual blindness, and deliverance is the outcome of having our eyes opened.—Watchman Nee in Love Not The World

HAPPINESS II

2009-12-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

Our headquarters folks put together a goodbye potluck for Marie. She served in the 104^th Division for over 3 decades and many will greatly miss her. As I thought about what to say in my remarks to her, I remembered a quality in Strength Finders called “positivity.” I read the description to the assembled crowd and asked them who it reminded them of as I looked at her. They knowingly laughed and applauded, for Marie is the essence of a happy person.

Meditation

Psalm 1:1-3—How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Did you know the way to attain genuine happiness is spelled out in the first three verses of the book of Psalms? Note the dual aspect of what God teaches. First, we learn three things that cannot happen if we hope to be happy. We cannot accept the advice of the wicked. Evil is antithetical to good and it makes sense that suggestive evil leads to collective sorrow. We cannot walk the course of sinners or join their actions. James 4:4 teaches us that friendship with the world is hostility towards God. We cannot bond with those who are mockers. Mockers deify sarcasm, profane what is holy and pollute what is good.

Second, we learn that happiness has a source—God’s Word. When we value His instruction, we set in our foundation a powerful principle. We recognize truth. We think about what it means for how we should live and we apply it—another way of describing meditation.

The Hebrew word for happy is ‘ashrei.* “Leah after giving birth to her second son, in Genesis 30:13, said, “‘I am happy that the women call me happy,’ so she named him Asher.” Asher means happy! When you see a happy person, you see someone who in disposition is healthy, someone who consistently prospers. This prospering in context means living according to God’s instruction. This is exactly why God told Joshua, “This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do” (Jos. 1:8).

If you are not happy, go back and take personal inventory. Are you engaged in any of the action the psalmist deplores? Are you aware of God’s instruction, thinking about it and applying it? If the answer is no, the attitude will show. Happiness can be fabricated on a temporary basis but it will not persevere unless the conditions established in Scripture are obeyed. This is why Marie is a fruit-bearing bouquet. She is anchored in following God.

Inspiration

To find recreation in amusement is not happiness.—Blaise Pascal

TRIUMPH

2009-12-20T22:59:00.000-08:00

Meditation

Joshua 1:3—I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses.

There are times when I am reading my Bible and a verse stops me in my tracks. The verse above qualifies—what an incredibly powerful 18 words. Let’s consider the context. Moses just died. To appreciate his loss, think of losing your parents as a child or your nation’s best leader right before a major war. The Israelites were poised to move into Canaan, a land full of bigger, stronger nations and now the man who spoke with God was buried somewhere in a Moab valley (see Deu. 34:6).

God told Joshua, the heir to Israel’s greatest leader, “Moses is dead now get moving” (vs. 2). Imagine for a moment even trying to fill Moses’ sandals! But what is amazing is the promise God uttered in verse three. Before the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, He guaranteed their victory. They just had to walk forward into a land whose inhabitants they feared not knowing that the Canaanites were even more afraid of them (2:9-11).

How many times in life have we missed triumph because we failed to understand or claim God’s promise of victory? How many times have we wallowed in the slough of fear unwilling to move forward? The world longs to see God at work. He longs to work through us! The former cannot experience the latter unless we are willing to live by faith. We don’t have to go earn the victory, we already have the victory! The problem is we don’t live out God’s reality because we get stuck in our inferiority.

No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Rom. 8:37-39)

Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will triumph in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! (Hab. 3:17,18)

Triumph is not a fictitious possibility it is a realized hope. God smashed Satan’s play for supremacy on the cross. Jesus’ conquest of sin and death fashioned all we need to live victoriously so long as our trust remains squarely in Him. If we want to know God we have to know triumph—anything less is just religion.

Inspiration

Satan’s primary object is not to get us to sin, but simply to make it easy for us to do so by getting us off the ground of perfect triumph on to which the Lord has brought us.—Watchman Nee in Sit Walk Stand

GRASSHOPPERS

2009-12-20T22:58:00.002-08:00

Meditation

Numbers 13:33—“We even saw the Nephilim thre.” (The offspring of Anak were descended from the Nephilim.) “To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them.”

They felt like grasshoppers? The people living in the land were too strong to conquer! After forty days of scouting about 240 miles of traveled distance, they could see the beauty and the potential of “the promised land” but it took second place to their fears. Ten spies counseled rejecting God’s plan while two passionately pressed for victory with complete confidence that God would certainly go before them. The Israelites opted for the pessimistic majority; after all, it matched their morbid pattern of perpetually complaining against their Redeemer-Deliverer.

How did this happen? This was a nation that watched God supernaturally pulverize the Egyptians with ten consecutive judgments. They saw the Red Sea part so they could cross on dry land. That same water piled on top of the pursuing Egyptian army, drowning them all. They saw God provide never before seen manna from heaven. He brought them water in the middle of desert. He gave them quail to eat until they were sick of meat. How do you give up on that kind of God?

Before we condemn them let’s do our own gut check. When is the last time you had to walk across a harsh desert daily beneath an unforgiving sun? I’ve never had to carry all my belongings, herd animals, keep children happy, while wiping the grit of sand from my eyes, nose and mouth from one more ridiculous sandstorm. Rarely have I had a mouth parched from thirst, a splitting headache, or a rendezvous with sand fleas and pesky flies. I didn’t have to answer for the millionth time, “Daddy, are we there yet?” I didn’t have to undertake a journey not knowing where exactly I was going or massage muscles weary from climbing, climbing, only to come back down.

I think Exodus gives us a pretty accurate picture of what people are like. Two see in stones a future temple. Ten see objects worthy of hurling in protest. We tend to fall in line with the ten because after all they are the majority. But watch out. This is where we go wrong. We take counsel from the crowd and close our spirit to the Heart Maker. We remember Egypt and its leeks, its relative safety and the security of sameness. But the Lord made Canaan and its fruit. He requires faith and the certainty of salvation. We deify comfort at His expense. He killed His Son for you and me.

If we are grasshoppers, it’s not in comparison to tall people, it’s because we jump with the prevailing wind. God forgive us for our attitudes of defeat, pessimism and the rottenness of demanding OUR rights. God help us to be like Caleb and Joshua—uncommon men with the right stuff. And let’s not assume we would have pressed the case for the Promised Land if we are living in presumptuous land. The former comes with a cost—our death, while the latter simply kills us. The difference is that God will save us if we’ll just trust Him and that’s something no mound of sand can overcome!

Inspiration

A barking dog is no hunter. --Japanese proverb

Another reason that we are tempted to substitute outer conformity for inner obedience is that behavior conformity gains for us instant acceptance, approval, even status, with others.—Margaret Thatcher in The Freedom of Obedience

RESCUE

2009-12-20T22:58:00.001-08:00

Greg is an avid kayaker. Along with his two sons, they decided to make a trip on the Tennessee River. Together they had a great day paddling until they hit a section where five-foot swells continually pounded them. His boys were in larger kayaks and had little difficulty cutting through the waves. Soon they were far away from Greg. But their dad hit a portion in the middle of the river where he could no longer cut through the waves and he began to take on water. With only a water bottle to bail he continued to sink. Calmly recognizing that his life was in serious danger, he prayed, “God, I need Your help, there is nothing I can do.”

Almost immediately after praying, his son Shawn, pulled alongside of him. “Dad, are you alright? I heard you call me.” Greg was stunned to see his son and said, “Son, I didn’t call you.”

“Yes, you did, I clearly heard you call my name.” Shawn then pulled out a bilge pump and was able to empty the water out of his dad’s kayak and help him get to shore.

Meditation

Psalm 46:1—God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.

Our ministry team enjoyed our brief stay with Greg and Helena Garcia as we crossed the country. God used Greg to open up a filming opportunity in Clarksville, Tennessee with Harold Witmore that will give First Cause television exposure and Lord-willing, help us raise the $44,000 we need to open a training center in Nigeria. But what encouraged me more than Greg’s help was reflecting on the growth in his life as he faithfully lives to serve God. His river rescue story is both amazing and a great reminder of how blessed we are to have a Savior we can call on at anytime for help.

Panic is the natural response to danger. Greg did not panic when it looked hopeless. He knew his life belonged to God and therefore he sought his Father’s help. Calmness in calamity is the supernatural response that comes from faith. When the sons of Korah wrote the verse of meditation above, they shared from experience a timeless truth. In times of trouble, God is here to be found. When your next time of adversity comes, remember that and you will be able to sing with the writers the next verse, “Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah.”

Inspiration

Rescue is the constant pattern of God’s activity.—John Eldredge in Wild at Heart

COMMISSION

2009-12-20T22:56:00.000-08:00

This month I had the privilege of delivering the commissioning speech to the ROTC graduates at the University of Portland. Seven cadets in front of their friends and relatives raised their right hands and swore to support and defend the constitution. Each stood before a noncommissioned officer to render their first salute and then gave the NCO a silver dollar in keeping with Army tradition. It was a moving ceremony and I was impressed by the quality of the young men and women ready to serve their nation.

Meditation

Deuteronomy 3:28—But commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit this land that you will see.

Moses was reluctant to commission Joshua. In 3:23-25 we learn that he begged the Lord to let him cross over and see the Promised Land. He wanted to fulfill what God initially called him to do. But God was angry with His humble servant for disobeying an earlier command (see Numbers 20:12) and told Moses to stop asking to cross the Jordan. Instead, He took him to the top of Mount Pisgah, a mountain in west Jordan, about 10 miles (16 km) east of the Dead Sea and let him look down upon what would one day be the land of Israel.

One of the most important acts godly leaders perform is to commission new leaders. It’s not easy to come to the end of life and have to let go of responsibility and watch someone else take on the mantle of leading. Moses was in great health, sound mind and full of drive when God determined his enough. But true to form, the Exodus Patriarch obeyed His Master.

First, he encouraged Joshua. I imagine they went on some long walks, or sat down on some ledge where they could see for miles while Moses told his longtime friend, “Don’t be afraid Joshua. You’ve been with me for 40 years. You’ve seen what I do and how God works. He will help you. You can do it!” Just as God asked, he strengthened his protégé. Perhaps he said, “Joshua, you will encounter trials and nations fixed on your destruction. Don’t be afraid. As God rescued us from the Eqyptians so He will deliver you and His people. Let our Lord be your source of power. He will do it!”

One of the most important acts newly commissioned leaders must assume is to remember what they are called to do. Had Joshua reflected on the asperity (ill temper) of his countrymen and their rebellious track record he might have declined the position. Had he measured the task of conquering nations more formidable and fortified than his own he might have suggested Caleb take on the mission.

Commissioning is all about the mission and uncompromising loyalty to the one in charge. It is not about the perks of leading, the servitude of others or the power of holding office. If we lose the ability to commission capable leaders of integrity and wisdom eventually we lose our ability to exist as a nation—whether it be a free republic or as a kingdom of priests.

Inspiration

Pastors are sometimes afraid to commission lay ministers to supervise cells for fear that they will lose the strokes that come from being the only chief.—Carl George in Prepare Your Church for the Future

SCIENTISM

2009-12-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever met a scientist who was an agnostic or atheist? Chances are high that such a person may have seemed intimidating when it came to sharing faith in God because in this person’s view, religion is essentially unverifiable superstition. Scientific naturalists who suppose “science is the paradigm of truth and rationality,” believe in scientism.*

There are basically two kinds of scientism—strong and weak. Those who believe in strong scientism advocate that something is true only if it is a scientific claim that was successfully tested and used in compliance with correct scientific methodology. Therefore, apart from scientific truths, there are no truths. Weak scientism postulates that truths can exist apart from science but gives science the overall position of authority in determining learning.

Meditation

Proverbs 20:12—The hearing ear and the seeing eye—the LORD made them both.

You and I may not be able to prove scientifically that God made us, offered a miraculous solution to our sin and is able to provide us eternal life in His presence. But that is insufficient basis to doubt what you believe. Belief in God is not based on science, it is based on faith. “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen”—Hebrews 11:1. Furthermore, scientism is self-refuting.

Strong scientism’s very claim that only scientific propositions are true and valid is not scientific but rather a philosophical proposition about science. As J.P. Moreland notes, “Propositions that are self-refuting do not just happen to be false; they are necessarily false—it is not possible for them to be true.” Similarly, weak scientism’s position that scientific propositions have “greater intellectual authority than those of other fields” is rendered bogus by the simple fact that this would mean scientific conclusions are more certain than the philosophical presuppositions used to validate them. The existence of truth by itself is a philosophical and not scientific presupposition.

We know that there are true beliefs in fields outside of science. Just ask a strong scientist if she believes as truth that it is wrong to torture her so she cannot practice her craft! I heard a scientist say “there is no God” but just exactly what science does he base that on? I watched a scientist measure life but find no meaning. I know scientists that believe that God is real and choose to accept the Son God sent to save mankind. I count as friends scientists who share how awesome it is to have the Holy Spirit inside them. The proof is not in the science, the science is in the proof. The question is, “who really understands the truth about Truth?”

Could it be the best explanation for our pumping hearts and thinking minds, hearing ears and seeing eyes, is a Creator who should be appreciated best by science AND theology—something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration

There is nothing in science which teaches the origin of anything at all.—Lord Kelvin

*Information about scientism taken from J.P. Moreland’s article, How Should a Christian Relate to a Scientific Naturalist? in The Apologietics Study Bible ©2007 by Holman Bible Publishers Nashville, Tennessee.

REVEALERS

2009-12-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

Will was getting concerned. He had not received a response from the church where we were scheduled to bring a concert in Tracy, California. Finally, the night before we were to sing and share, he received a call from one of the pastors. An eight year-old girl from one of the families in the church was kidnapped and her body was discovered in a suitcase. Understandably, a broken-hearted church needed to cancel our appearance and meet the needs of a grieving family. Pastor Tim, our host in Sonoma, with only 20 hours notice, scheduled us to minister in his church. We had a fantastic evening of ministry and with the Sonoma church we spent quality time praying for our brothers and sisters in Tracy.

On we drove to San Diego. A close friend of mine hosting our team, shared how he had been admitted to the hospital for treatment. A friend called his hospital room and asked to talk. Rob shared that it was not a good time to chat. The man asked him if he was dying. Rob said “no” so the man suggested he should listen and proceeded to pour out his problems over the phone! Can you imagine!

Meditation

2 Corinthians 3:10—We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Did you know that we “carry the death of Jesus in our body?” And what exactly does that mean? As we prayed last night, Georgia asked, “How can the Friday before Easter, be called, ‘Good Friday?’” That day was filled with staggering pain. Jesus for the first and only time in eternity was actually separated from His Father. But understand that horrific day was paradoxically GOOD. God planned tragedy to fashion victory. We are able to carry the death of Jesus in our body precisely because He smashed our sin. His resurrection is our rebirth. His graveyard grace imputed into us eternal life!

We live life able to respond and adjust to tragedies and unforeseen events because that’s what revealers do. We react lovingly to people who place demands on our time because of what is inside us. Circumstances are merely the vehicle God uses to allow us to model the inward presence we carry of our outward Hope. Revealers are God-containers infused with the message of eternity formed by grace proclaimed with joy. Hallelujah!

Inspiration

A servant is one who has given up his right to himself to the God Whom he proclaims, a witness to Jesus, i.e., a satisfaction to Jesus Christ wherever he goes.—Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

KNEELING

2009-03-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you have noticed that the news seems to be getting worse by the week. Tonight I ate dinner with Ken and Brenda and their sons in Charlottesville, Virginia. They were telling me about all the people who have lost jobs in the Richmond area and how thankful they are Ken still has his job. Ken said it hasn't been this bad in this area since the early 70's.

I'm sure you have noticed there are lots of people looking for work. Companies are laying off employees by the droves or going completely out of business. Houses are in foreclosure at record numbers. The flu season seems to be hitting harder, the weather seems worse and pessimism is growing faster than moss on an Oregon roof.

Meditation
Psalm 95:6,7-Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker, For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care . . .

Have you noticed anyone kneeling recently? I'd like to start a kneeling campaign. What if at noon tomorrow, everyone of you reading this got down on your knees wherever you are and better yet, got every Jesus-believing friend you could find to join you! What if we did this for a week straight, or a month, or a year?! Why we'd have people in India, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, South Africa, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, Cambodia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, Scotland, Sweden, Germany, Ukraine, the United States and who knows where else, all kneeling whenever noon arrived. Don't worry who's watching, or where your location is, just get down on your knees and worship!

Focus on kneeling before the Lord, the Creator, the One who loves us with an eternal care plan. He IS our God. The antidote to every crisis is worship. The attitude that beats discouragement is one of humility before the King-recognizing that He is above all our problems and He is worthy of our focus. Knowing he faced an enemy out to take his life, Daniel, God's mighty man of faith, did not fear to pray. "When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before" (Daniel 6:10). If Daniel could do this three times a day, every day, can we handle once a day setting aside everything to come before God in prayer?

Are you too busy to kneel? Are you too proud to bow down? I didn't think so! I'm not either. So let's do it. Will you join me for as long as the Spirit leads you? When your next noon arrives, kneel before the Lord and thank Him for His leadership. Let's tell the world that we have a Savior we trust. Praise God for His awesomeness. Something to think about . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
Kneeling in prayer, and not ashamed to pray, The tumult of the time disconsolate To inarticulate murmurs dies away, While the eternal ages watch and wait.-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

WISDOM 2

2009-03-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a period in life where you felt like an idiot and wish you could crawl in a hole and hide? I think I'm just emerging from the hole.

Fourteen months ago, we put a man we trusted in our vacant house to minister to homeless people. It was to be a sanctuary where folks could get their lives back in order. We had clear guidelines and standards on how the home was to operate-so much for good intentions. The man running the home refused to be accountable. He disregarded the rules with the excuse that his spiritual guidance was sufficient. Then he began insisting I gave him the house and quit paying "mortgage assistance." We gave all the occupants a 30-day eviction notice and they refused to leave. Finally, after securing an attorney and going through several sessions in court, we have our house back. The home leader promised before the judge to pay us a sum of money and to turn the premises over with everything moved out and "broom clean." He reneged on paying us and left the place full of trash and an incredible accumulation of stuff. What an ordeal.

Meditation
Proverbs 1:23-If you turn to my discipline, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words.

Wisdom grows through the discipline of unity. "Can two walk together without agreeing to meet?" (Amos 3:3) My wife was never at peace with the decision to use our house in the manner it was run. She sensed there would be problems. Optimistic compassion often results in good but from a floor of sand. Realistic compassion waits until the concrete is poured.

Wisdom grows through the discipline of obedience. There were countless signs that the policies we established in the beginning were violated. Instead of correcting the problems early on, I chose to be gracious and give the director every chance to succeed. By allowing him to disregard the standards a hill of discontent became a volcano of rebellion. "The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure" (Ecclesiastes 8:5).

Wisdom grows through the discipline of rest. We saw that the director was often overwhelmed by the problems of those in the home and that in reality it was far too big a ministry for him to handle. We should have extracted him from the mess and used a different leadership approach. Relief is sometimes the best answer.

Wisdom is not grown by hoping problems will go away, by avoiding confrontation, by naïve kindness, or by lowering standards. She offers her counsel to those willing to listen, and that takes discipline. I hope you learn from my mistakes and I hope you remember what I'm reminded of-God's love and grace is always deeper than our misfortune.

Inspiration
A fault once denied is twice committed.-Japanese proverb