Up the Mountain

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart ~Galatians 6:9

As God calls us out of our comfort zone and into His service we will have many occasions and opportunities to pull back from His instruction and fall into the areas where we feel most secure. We desire comfort and security, but it is in discomfort and through struggling through the unknown that we come to learn how to rely on God and to come to understand what it means to truly trust in Him. It is through these periods that we can begin to experience God's grace and His faithfulness.

We cannot come into this type of intimate relationship from the quiet and safe comforts of the sheltered bubbles that we tend to build around ourselves. While we may learn much about God by studying Him safely from afar, we won't get to actually know Him personally until we step out by faith and in trust and go wherever He may lead us however uncomfortable and difficult the path might seem.

Our journey to God should be a never ending quest to climb higher and higher up the sometimes rocky and treacherous mountain path that God has placed before us. Occasionally on this journey we will find that God has provided for us a nice flat place with soft green grass to rest and a tree for shelter and for food.  When we find this comfort we should stop, rest, and enjoy the wonderful view for a short time, and then continue on.  What we should never do is to stake out the ground and make our home there.

The journey that God sets before us is difficult and it is easy to grow weary, especially if we attempt to rely on our own strength. Always remember that you are alive and breathing today because God still has use and a plan for you on this earth. Our journey does not end, our growth does not stop, our true security and safety does not begin until the day God calls us home or the day that Jesus returns.  Until that day we are to run the race set before us with endurance (Hebrews 12:1).

As you examine your walk with God, do you find that you have been camping at the comfortable rest stop on the mountain for too long? Are you learning about God instead of allowing Him to personally show you who He is and bring you into real relationship? Are you still seeking the face of Jesus and stepping out in faith to follow Him wherever He may lead you, even if that means going into places you wouldn't, by yourself, choose to go?

Each of us must ask ourselves these questions. The longer we have been on the path the more we need to examine our walk to ensure that we haven't grown weary and rested in one place too long. What is God calling you to do today to take the next step up the mountain in your never-ending journey toward Him?

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised. ~Hebrews 10:36

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Fruit of the Spirit

The fruit of the the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. ~Galatians 5:22

As we walk along the path of our journey with Christ, we inevitably come to a point in the road where we stop and begin to examine ourselves to determine if we are bearing any fruit.  We also do this with our Christian brothers and sisters as we attempt to hold each other accountable in our journey together. This is a good and necessary time of introspection, important because we are told that we will know each other by our fruit (Matthew 7:16) and that any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down (Matthew 7:19). So as we engage in evaluating ourselves, exactly what sort of fruit should we be looking for?

Most of us tend to think of the fruit of the good Christian life in terms of actions or works such as helping those in need, volunteering at the church or hospital, visiting those in prison, giving money to good causes, praying consistently, and the like.  These are all good things and are representative of the types of activities that we would expect someone filled with the Spirit to be drawn to and to engage in, but they themselves are not the fruit.

Read Galatians 5:22 again.  The fruit of the Spirit is not a list of actions or activities but a list of attributes. As we draw ever closer to God in our journey through life, His Spirit works within us to change us and to bring us closer to His image.  We begin to see the fruit of love and of joy and of peace bud in our hearts and as these attributes become the natural and dominate characteristics that begin to define us, then the old ways of bitterness, envy, strife, and lust fall away. These attributes take hold of us and become our core character. Once this happens we cannot help but to do good works. Doing good works becomes our very nature and not a force of will.

Jesus tells us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34) and the writer of Hebrews says that the Word of God judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).  It is our heart that God ultimately judges and, thankfully, it is our heart that His Holy Spirit transforms as we submit ourselves fully to Him.

We must often engage in periods of introspection and ask God to point out the areas in our lives that He would have us surrender to Him for divine maintenance and retrofitting. Make sure as you examine your own fruit, that you look most closely at the attributes of your heart and where you find characteristics inconsistent with the promised fruit of the Spirit give these to God and allow Him to continue to change you into the person that He intends you to become.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. ~Galatians 5:25

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New Heaven and New Earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away ~Revelation 21:1

When most people think of heaven, they generally don’t picture it being anything like what we see day to day here on earth. In some respects this is true. There will be no death or suffering in heaven. There will be no deceitfulness, no sorrow, no hunger, and no pain. While that part sounds good, most of us have grown up with a picture of heaven involving harps and clouds and singing in endless monotony.

In his book titled Heaven, Randy Alcorn quotes an English vicar. When asked by a colleague what he expected after he died he replied “Well, if it comes to that, I suppose I shall enter into eternal bliss, but I really wish you wouldn't bring up such depressing subjects.” Most people, when they think of heaven, have in mind some eternal disembodied sort of church service, but is this what scripture teaches about our eternal state?

There is considerable high-minded theological debate about what happens immediately after we die, when the second coming of Christ will be, how the period of the millennium described in the book of Revelation will play out, and in what order all of the end times prophesies will unfold. These are interesting intellectual questions, but what I am speaking of is our final state at the end of the book.  How will we spend eternity?

Jesus says “Behold! I am making all things new!” (Revelation 21:5) The picture our eternal state that is clearly described throughout scripture is not one of disembodied boredom but one of flesh and blood on a new earth, a physical world with real physical food and real physical places. This is the world that is again what it was originally created to be. It is a world just like the one we see every day but without any trace of sin or death. When God finished his work of creating all the universe and placing man and woman, created in His image, at the center as the crown jewel over all that He had made, he declared that it was all “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

God made the universe, and everything in it, exactly the way He wanted it to be.  He created it to perfectly suit us and He created us to be in intimate and personal fellowship with Him. After we rebelled against Him, He himself took on the form of a man, paid the dearest cost for our sake, and was resurrected in His physical body in order to redeem us and spend eternity walking among us just like He did in the Garden in the beginning.

We were created as physical beings with physical wants, desires, and needs. We were designed to live in a physical realm. If we misunderstand the glorious physical reality of our eternal existence in personal relationship with our creator then we miss out on the blessed hope (Titus 2:3) that gives us strength during our times of trial and testing in this fallen version of the world. Worse than that, if we miss the truth then we may begin to think of this world as our only hope and place all of our effort in storing up our treasures here and now instead of storing up our treasures in heaven where they belong.

Where are you storing up your treasure?

In My Father's house there are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. ~John 14:2-3

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Are You Listening?

But I have spoken to you again and again; yet you have not listened to me. ~Jeremiah 35:14

Have you ever been in a crowded restaurant, with lots of people talking and dishes clanging, trying to have a conversation? Due to the ambient noise, it can sometimes be very difficult to hear the people that are sitting right next you.  Occasionally in those settings there is an additional sound amongst the din.  Sometimes there is music playing quietly on the speakers that you can just barely hear and might not even notice at all.

I have been in situations like that where I could tell there was music playing and I thought I recognized the song but the noise of the room was just too much and, try as I might, I couldn't make it out. Luckily, my wife has excellent hearing and once she told me what song it was I was able to zero in on it and hear it just fine. In fact, since I knew the song, once I was first able to pick it out of the noise around me, I wasn't able to stop hearing it, and I occasionally found myself doing a slight chair dance along with the music which must have looked quite odd to those around the table that didn't hear it.

God is speaking to you all the time. Through the din of your hectic life, His voice is there.  We often let the cares, troubles, and distractions of this world drown out the voice of God in our lives and it sometimes takes someone with a more trained ear than ours to point out His song so that we can zero in on it and be moved to dance.

We often look for God to work in our lives and to speak to us in big miraculous ways. He sometimes does this but usually He speaks in much more subtle ways.  When Elijah was on the mountain top, he didn't find the voice of God in the rushing wind, or in the earthquake, or in the fire, but in the still small voice inside him (1 Kings 19:11-13).

When you really want to do something but a small voice inside you insists that you know it is wrong and shouldn't do it, that is God.  When you are busy and focused on your life but something keeps nagging at you and telling you to ask the person with the sad countenance if you can help, that is God. Any time you feel the push to do something that you know is right but takes you far out of your comfort zone, that is God. Any time you ask yourself why you are here and what is the purpose of life, that is God calling you to seek Him.

Have you been having a difficult time hearing God's voice? Is there too much noise in your life? Are you waiting for God to shout loud enough to be clearly heard over all of the distractions that you have placed around yourself? Try turning off some of the sound and focus on inclining your ear to Him. Seek out those around you who hear his voice and seek their guidance to help you.  God is speaking to you.  Are you listening?

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ~John 10:27-28

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Religion vs. Relationship

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you. ~John 15:15

There are two primary ways in which people err when approaching God. One is that they forget that Jesus is our King and our judge so that their religion has no meat. The opposite is that they forget that while it is true that God is holy and will stand in judgment over all, what He expects is not simply for us to follow a set of rules but to come into a deep personal relationship with Him through Jesus. God has called us, we who are broken and unclean; we who push Him away and seek only our own interests; we who don't deserve it; it is us that He calls friends.

Jesus here goes on to point out that it is not we who chose Him, but He that chose and appointed us that we would go and bear good fruit (John 15:16). It is not through any work of our own that we can be called children of God, but through His grace alone, and it is through being chosen that we then begin to be fruitful in our works. Good works are not the path to salvation earned, but the evidence of salvation received.

It is natural for us to think of the world in terms of working for our own rewards. All other religions of the world attempt to implement some form of working their way to God. Only Christianity declares that it is not about religion but relationship. You cannot work your way to God. God did not create us in His image in order to be simple slaves, but to grow to be His friends and His children in true and intimate relationship with Him.

In book of Luke, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees of their religion. He says “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). Be extremely wary of any religion or denomination that is not based entirely on a deep, personal, intimate, and interactive relationship with God. Do not be tempted by the lie that through your own outward actions you can please God enough to gain favor with Him. Instead, embrace the truth that you have been given a priceless gift of friendship with your creator. All you have to do is fully accept this gift, surrender your heart to Him, and then it is He who will begin to do good works through you.

And because you are children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. ~Galatians 4:6

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Esteem Others More Highly

Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. ~Hebrews 13:3

All too often in modern western culture we find ourselves concerned more about our own standard of living than we do about those that are struggling simply to survive. We are so far removed from the brutality, persecution, and extreme poverty of the world that it does not even occur to us that, as we worry about which $30,000 car best suits our individuality, our brothers and sisters around the world are being imprisoned and tortured. While we tuck our own children into bed, tens of thousands of children around the world are being sold into slavery.

While it is easy to fall into this blindness when we are blessed to live in a relatively peaceful and abundant society, scripture paints a different picture of how we are to live within this fallen world. Paul tells us that in humility we are to esteem others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3) and James tells us that religion that God accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27). John tells us that, in love, we ought to lay down our lives for one another (1 John 3:16) and Jesus commands us to love one another even as He has loved us (John 15:12).

Take a moment to examine the abundance that surrounds you and ask God to open your heart and your mind to His instruction. Our world tells us to grab as much for ourselves as we can, but God tells us to lay up our treasure in heaven (Matthew6:20). The world tells us to take care of ourselves first and ensure that we have enough put away for our future needs but Jesus commands us to not even worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). We seek out nice clothing and fine food, but God tells us not to worry whether we have any clothing or food but to seek first His righteousness and the rest will be added (Matthew 6:31-33).

The quest for His righteousness usually comes in steps as we endeavor to journey ever closer to God. Look around you and determine what small step you can make today to place the needs of another before your own. Do you need to take your family out to that nice dinner or might that money be better spent feeding a family that is struggling to eat at all? Is it possible that the time you spend watching the latest reality T.V. show might be better used to love and comfort a widow who has no one left in her life? What is it that God has placed on your heart to sacrifice for someone who needs it?

Once you take that first step, ask God where in your life you can take another step, and then another, and then another. Do not stop seeking God's will for you and never stop running the race that He sets before you.

Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ~Hebrews 12:1-2

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Is Suffering Optional?

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps ~1 Peter 2:21

There are many today that teach that being a true Christian, if you do it right, means that God will take care of all your earthly needs. He will heal all your infirmities, bless you with financial prosperity, and grant you an easy and peaceful existence during your long, fulfilled, and happy time here on earth. All you need to do is to have faith, and of course, give to the church, in order to receive all the peace that God desires for your life.

This is certainly an appealing picture but is there any truth to it? There is a time in the eternal state when all of those things will come to pass but God's word paints a very different picture of His expectation of our time here in this world. Every single book of the New Testament discusses the promise and the expectation that followers of Jesus will endure suffering. Most of the apostles were arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for their faith, some multiple times. All of the Apostles, with the lone exception of John, were martyred for their faith in Christ. Each of them, and millions after them, professed their faith boldly to their deaths and they died specifically due to those bold professions of faith.

In the ease and comfort of our western culture it is easy to forget that there are millions of Christians all over the world today that live in fear of persecution and even death. In China, India, Africa, the Middle East, and in many other countries Christians are arrested, tortured, and killed for their faith and yet they press on. In these countries where proclaiming Christ can lead to violent death, there are no casual Christians.

This is not the only form of suffering though. Regardless of where we find ourselves - in the midst of political peace or persecution - we must all deal with suffering in forms both great and small. The loss of a job, the death of a loved one, natural disasters, war, murder, rape, child abuse... suffering surrounds us and permeates this existence. 

This suffering is not pointless and it is not simply a filter to test whose faith is true (though it does that as well), rather it is to strengthen us, to develop our character, to lead us in our spiritual growth, to allow us the opportunity to show true love to others, and to bring us ever closer to a personal relationship of trust and faith in God through Jesus Christ. All of scripture, and our own experience as well, teaches us that this world is not a final place rest but an intermediate place of testing.

There are many who will tell you that this isn't God's plan and that God really wants you to have heaven here on this earth but just as Scripture teaches us to expect many trials and suffering, it also expressly warns us about such teachers: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires” (2 Timothy 4:3)

Are you seeking only those that tickle your ears and tell you what you desire to hear? Remember to test all things with God’s word through scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ~1 Peter 5:10

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I say it again, Rejoice!

Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again rejoice! ~Philippians 4:4

In case you didn't notice that Paul considers this a command and not a suggestion, he says it twice just to get the point across. We, especially in our fast-paced, immediate gratification culture, often confuse the transient and emotional state of happiness with the much deeper and far more profound state of joy. It is possible to rejoice in every situation, both in the good situations and in the bad. It is this consistent state of our joy in God, in fact, regardless of the situation, that marks us out as God's people and acts as the most effective evangelistic tool that we have.

One of the most misquoted or misapplied verses of the new testament is right after this command to rejoice. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Most people who quote this verse today practically apply it as meaning that I can do all things that I want to do through Christ who strengthens me. The point of the verse is not that I can be a rich and successful businessman, or a championship athlete, or a even a good preacher through Christ who strengthens me.

The context here is key. In between the command to rejoice and this last verse, Paul is saying that he has learned to show moderation during times of plenty and endurance through times of need. He has learned to be content with what he has in both fullness and in poverty; in freedom and in chains. The message is that through whatever circumstances we find ourselves, whether we are in a period of blessing or a period of testing; in a period of richness or a period of poverty; in a emotional state of happiness or one of sadness, through all things we rejoice and are content because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

One of the driving themes of the book of Philippians, written by Paul while imprisoned in Rome for the capital offense of the testimony of his faith, is one of joy and unity through all circumstances. In this world it is easy for us to become distracted and to take our eyes off the goal of the prize of heaven and focus instead on what scripture calls “our temporary light afflictions”. We must remind ourselves to reset our focus and our path on God and to trust and rejoice in the journey, even when the path seems to us to be impossible. It is during these times of difficulty that we must encourage and help one another and press on toward the prize.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. ~Psalm 28:7

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Jesus, Our Judge

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. ~Malachi 3:2

Most of us have grown up with the idea and picture of Jesus as a loving and benevolent friend that offers us only grace, mercy, and compassion. This image of Jesus is one of only love and forgiveness. These are certainly characteristics of our King but they do not paint the whole picture. John, the author of the book of Revelation, was perhaps Jesus’ closest disciple. Jesus called John his beloved disciple and even left the care of Mary in John’s hands when Jesus was on the cross. This same John that knew Jesus best as a close personal friend and loving mentor describes seeing Jesus in a vision of the last day when Jesus will stand as judge.

“… And when I turned I saw … someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” (Revelation 1:12-17)

Even John, arguably Jesus’ most dear disciple, fell as though dead at the feet of Jesus upon seeing him in his glory. We must never forget that, while it is true that Jesus is the very embodiment of love, He is also the very embodiment of holiness and justice.

Most people in western culture have a difficult time fathoming that there is anything on which for them to be judged. Our society tells us that all things are acceptable so long as we live lives better than those that we see on the news. But what if God really does have standards and expectations that surpass our own? What if He really has provided one, and only one, path to forgiveness? What if He had already told you all of this and you refused to listen? The truth is that Jesus will stand in judgment over all mankind. Are you certain that you are ready for that?

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ~Matthew 25:31-32

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All the Answers

When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom. ~Proverbs 11:2 

Another of the primary objections that many people have to religion in general and to Christianity in particular is the propensity to claim: 1) to know the truth; and 2) to have all the answers to life's problems and questions. I attempt to address the issues of exclusivity and truth in the blog posts Exclusive Jesus?, The Morality Argument, and Absolute Truth.  But what is the difference between knowing the truth and having all of the answers? Is there a difference at all and do Christians even make these claims in the first place?  

There is a very definite distinction between "knowing the truth" in the Christian sense and "having all the answers".  I believe, for example, that the Bible is truth and that it is the living Word of God.  I believe that it provides, as God intended, a sufficient and complete foundation upon which we are to base our understanding of God, the universe, the world, human society, and ourselves. I believe this because I have a personal relationship with the author. I do not claim, however, that the Bible holds the answer to every specific question that could possibly be asked but that it instead provides the framework through which we approach those questions and evaluate the answers. God is the light by which the world is illuminated and the Bible is the lens through which the world comes into focus. The lens is of little worth without the light.

There is a very large difference between knowing the truth of God and claiming to know all truth. While most Christians will be the first to humbly admit that they do not have all the answers, many Christians, I am afraid, do make the claim to know "all truth that matters". There are times that Christians hold their doctrine or their religious teachings above the Word of God. Religion is simply the final stages of man working out what he thinks God has revealed. All religion is of man and not of God. When we hold our interpretations and doctrines above God's Word then we begin to fall into the trap of prideful legalism and human arrogance. (For a further explanation of the differences between doctrine, religion, and relationship see our section on theology here.)

Life on this earth is a journey of constant growth toward a destination that we will never fully realize. The Bible tells us the truth of that destination and also serves as the map and as the signs along the road to point the way. Our true destination is perfection in our relationship with God. Those who know God live with the truth and the hope that they will spend all eternity in a constant state of learning, of exploring the richness of all that God has created. 

People, both inside the church and outside, tend to forget the journey and instead look at this current existence as all there is. We begin to define ourselves by what we achieve and by what we know here and now instead of what we are called to learn next. We become blinded to the fact that, no matter how smart we think we are or what answers we imagine we might have, our current understanding and knowledge pales in comparison to what we will always have left to learn. 

While our beliefs are foundational and important, and while it is vital that we have a very good understanding of why we believe what we believe, we must be careful not to place the knowledge itself on the throne of God. Instead of allowing ourselves to become distracted and consumed by our rules, our doctrine, or our religion, we need to constantly remind ourselves instead to focus on our relationship with God, constantly taking the next step that He sets before us on our journey toward Him. The more we focus on listening to God throughout each day, the less susceptible we become to falling into the ditch of arrogant legalism or prideful superiority.

As a Christian, I don't claim to have all the answers. I do, however, know the God who does and I invite you to join me on my journey toward Him. If you don't know Jesus please take a moment today to stop and simply ask Him to show you the truth then listen to what He speaks to your heart. If you do know Jesus then remember that until He returns or calls you home your journey is never complete and there is always a next step that He is calling you to take. No matter where we are in our spiritual journey in this life, whether we are just starting out or have been on the path for a long time, God is calling us all to a next step toward Him and toward the relationship that we were created to experience. 

Human pride will be humbled, and the loftiness of men will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.  ~Isaiah 2:11

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Living Water

Listen! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost. ~Isaiah 55:1

When Jesus stopped to rest at a well, He had occasion to speak with a Samaritan woman who was drawing water. During His conversation with her, He told her that if she would partake of the water that He offered that she would never thirst again. We all hunger and thirst and, like the woman at the well, we assume that we require something from this world to satisfy us. When Jesus speaks of water that will satisfy eternally and when Isaiah tells us to come and buy water, milk, and wine though we have no means to pay for them, it is not sustenance of this world that they are referring to.

We were all created and intentionally designed with a deep internal longing and desire, a need, for relationship with God. In the absence of relationship with God we attempt to fill that felt need with worldly things. We place all manner of other things in the high place of the throne inside us where God is supposed to sit and reign. Some of these seem to us to be good such as our families, our careers, or our personal prosperity. Sometimes, in our desperate need to fill the void within us, we place destructive things there such as alcohol, drugs, or pornography.

The truth is that nothing of this earth can fill and satisfy us and the more we attempt to place objects of worldly affection there the deeper our longing becomes. Only when we allow God to take his rightful place on the throne of our lives do we truly find the fulfillment that we long for and that we were designed to experience.

What are you putting on throne of your life in place of God? What is it in your life that you seek to find comfort in outside of a personal relationship with your creator?

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ~Matthew 6:33

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Citizen of Heaven

For our citizenship is in heaven; from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. ~Philippians 3:20

Imagine that your job was to be an ambassador to an impoverished foreign country. Your sole and express purpose for living among the people there was to share the truth of a better land and of a better life that is available to them, and to offer them a free ticket and free citizenship to your country. If you knew that the people of that country were forming their opinion of your homeland based solely on their experience and impression of you, how would you conduct yourself and what would be your daily focus and purpose?

Would you spend your time there focused on your own prosperity? Would you make certain that first and foremost you had all of the toys and comforts for yourself and for your family even if those around whom you were living had very little or none? If your mission is to offer them a free ticket to your country, would you instead involve yourself heavily in their political system and focus your effort on trying to change their government and their society to fall in line with your moral values and ideals? As a foreign emissary, your job would not be to focus on your own needs nor would it be to become involved in their political system. Your job would be to focus on the needs of the individual people around you and to care for their needs.

When Jesus came to this earth He gave up the majesty and the glory of His eternal throne in heaven in order to become nothing so as to save and to redeem us (Philippians 2:5-8). When asked about the local political system in which He found Himself, He simply said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's (Mark 12:17). He didn't allow Himself to become distracted by temporal human political concerns. Neither did He focus on providing for His own comforts but instead had no place to lay His head (Luke 9:58) and instructed His followers to lay up their treasures in heaven and not on earth (Matthew 6:19-21).

If you call yourself a Christian, or better yet, a disciple of Christ, then you are no longer a citizen of whatever earthly country you happen to reside in, but your citizenship is in heaven. You are an ambassador during your short time here on Earth. Most of us go through our lives forgetting this fact. We focus all of our energy trying to make our way here in our earthly lives living no differently than those who are spiritually impoverished all around us when we should be living with the express purpose of shining the light and love of Christ to those who so desperately need it.

What small thing can you do today to reach out as an ambassador to someone around you who needs to hear of your home country and of the loving King that is waiting there to welcome them home?

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ... striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.  ~Philippians 1:27-28

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Seventy Times Seven

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ~Luke 6:28

Have you ever been wronged by someone? I mean really hurt in such a way that, even years later, it still comes to mind and still eats at you? If you have then you know that this type of injury cannot be inflicted by any but those that we truly care for. If you can relate to this at all then you are probably at this moment thinking of someone that is or was very close to you. Perhaps you are thinking of a brother or a sister, your mother or father, maybe a best friend, or perhaps your spouse. It’s possible that this injury is something that the person has apologized for but their apology just didn’t quite ring true. Or maybe they don’t even know that they hurt you. Or perhaps it is something that has been ongoing for years; perhaps an abusive relationship of some kind or maybe the person in question is just plain mean, self-centered, and rude.  

How are we to handle these types of situations? Should we just shut down and ignore the situation? Should we end the relationship and try to save ourselves further torment? We all know that there are two sides to every story and none of us, as much as we would like to think we are, are blameless in these things. So then, are we to focus on ourselves, on our own shortcomings, and ignore the wrongs and the bad behavior inflicted on us?

We’ve all heard the Christian commandments that we are to honor our mother and father and that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are also all pretty well aware of the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have others do unto you. I think that these concepts provide a foundation for how we should approach this issue.  

Peter once asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother that sinned against him. Peter wondered if forgiving his brother seven times was enough. Jesus answered him “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22) Jesus then gave the following illustration:  

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him one million dollars was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with me,” he begged, “and I will pay back everything.” The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go.

But when the servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and began to choke him. “Pay back what you owe me!” he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him “Be patient with me and I will pay you back.” But he refused and instead had the man thrown into prison until he could repay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened they were greatly distressed and went and told their master all that had happened.

Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I canceled all the debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay back all he owed. Jesus said “This is how my heavenly father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” ~Matthew 18:23-35

We are, all of us, imperfect creatures. We make mistakes and sometimes we hurt others. Sometimes on purpose and sometimes without ever knowing it. We all require forgiveness. God, in his grace, has granted us the forgiveness that we so require. In return he demands that we forgive others as he has forgiven us. No matter how numerous or hurtful their actions may have been. We are to forgive them from our heart.

Jesus also taught us how to pray.  In that prayer, commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer there is a line: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Think about that line for just a moment. Lord, I want you to forgive me for my sins in exactly the same way that I forgive those that have sinned against me.

Ask yourself these two questions: 1) Am I really ready to be judged based on that standard? 2) How would my relationship with the person in question be different if I were to, without even saying anything to them, truly forgive them in my heart for everything they have ever done to hurt me?

When Jesus told Peter not to forgive his brother seven times but seventy times seven times he meant that we are never to give up on those that may hurt us. We are to forgive them over and over and over again just as we are forgiven through the grace of God. Does this mean that all of our relationships will turn around and be miraculously healed simply because we have forgiven the other person, or that once they see how we have changed they will never wrong us again? No. But it does mean that, whatever happens in our relationships, we can go to our maker with a clear answer to that first question. Yes Lord, I am ready to be forgiven for my sins against you in the same way I forgave those that sinned against me.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ~Luke 6:37

 (Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephencuyos/6307958931/)

Could it be... SATAN?!

But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ~Daniel 10:13

In this passage the angel Gabriel is speaking to Daniel and is explaining that he was delayed from coming to Daniel earlier due to a battle in which he ultimately required help from another angel, Michael. As we go about our daily lives and are absorbed in the cares of this world, we often forget that there is a greater battle going on all around us. This is a battle in which we too are involved, even if we don't always realize it. It can be much easier for us to recognize our own weaknesses or to look out at the world and see the temptations that it constantly places before us than to realize that there are spiritual forces at work in our lives as well.

To this day I can't hear the name of Satan without hearing Dana Carvey playing the church lady on Saturday Night Live (back in the 80's for those of you too young too remember). One of the points of this popular little skit was to make fun of those who see Satan's handiwork in everything. It also served to make fun of those who believed that some red-skinned, horned, and caped guy with a pitchfork was going around meddling in people's lives. Many of us shy away from the mention of Satan because we are afraid that people will think that we believe this popular caricature of the devil.

This, however, is not the biblical picture of the enemy that we struggle against. Our true enemy can best be seen examples such as in the Holocaust, in the rampant human trafficking trade that is alive and well today, and in the genocide in Sudan. Evil exists. Satan is real and he and his demons act in visible and tangible ways in our world. We should not, however, be the type of people that are so consumed with this fact that we see a demon behind every negative circumstance nor an angel behind every good deed.

As we strive to grow in our relationship with God we must endure many struggles. These are struggles against our own sinful nature, struggles against the passions and lusts of the world, and struggles against the spiritual forces of our enemy who works constantly to hinder, to confuse, and to derail us at every opportunity. Always remember that Satan is powerful and wants nothing less than to lead you away from God. He is sometimes subtly seductive and sometimes terrifyingly brutal. It is for this reason that we must never rely on our own power but constantly seek the true face of God in all things.

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ~Ephesians 6:10-12

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Reintroduced to God

Prepare to meet your God, O Israel! For behold He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth - the LORD God of hosts is His name. ~Amos 4:12-13

I love picturing Amos introducing God to a people who worshiped Him as an afterthought, as a way to 'cover their bases'. They had lost the knowledge of who God really is; God is not an idol of wood or stone without the ability to hear or move or talk, He is not a God created by man to pander to our needs and meet our expectations. He is living and real and His presence is so powerful that He must be worshiped and we must be humbled. It is only when we are distant from God that we can forget this about Him. I can imagine God's incredulity as He asks through Isaiah (45:9) “Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'”? The same metaphor is used in Jeremiah 18:6 “Just like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand”. We are the created ones, we are the lesser ones. We will one day stand before God and He will need no further introduction. “Every knee will bow” (Philippians 2:10-11) in recognition of who he is; even the people who never knew God in life will acknowledge and worship Him.

If we stay close to God now, our worship will flow sincerely and spontaneously. It reminds me of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in which a sailor falls under a curse, all his shipmates die and as the man nears death himself, he looks at the creatures of the sea and marvels at God's creation. “And I blessed them unaware” he claims, which lifted the curse and freed him to pray. The breathtaking beauty of nature often stirs us to think of God. Nearness with God necessitates worship, its just what happens.

Sometimes I need to be reintroduced to God - reminded again of his sovereignty. Whether these moments come through poetry, nature, or the fellowship of church family, it is a blessing to recognize that I have been minimizing God by worshiping on my terms and in my time. I fall into the trap of trying to bring God to me instead of presenting myself to God. It is ironic that we need God in the Holy Spirit in order to worship God fully. Ironic, weird, and beautiful. That's how our God works. We cannot control, predict, or understand Him. We walk with Him, learn from Him, and praise Him.

God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. ~Job 37:5

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The Light Yoke of Our Lord

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ~Matthew 11:29

Jesus is our sovereign King and He deserves our full allegiance and devotion. He is not, however, a tyrant demanding that we follow the law under threat of prison or death though this can be the image of Him that is presented by some today. We must always remember that we are saved by God’s grace through faith and that we can do nothing of ourselves to work or to earn our way into God’s favor (Ephesians 2:8). God’s love for us is so great that He, our mighty king, sacrificed Himself and paid the ultimate price in order to restore us into relationship with Him.

As we come to know our God and to develop and grow our relationship with Him, He will call us to cast off the chains of bondage that tie us to this life and that keep us from resting in completely in Him. Like a drug addict who can’t imagine even wanting to live life without the substance they have come to depend on, so too are we resistant to following our King’s call to cut our own bonds. We find, however, that when we finally submit and obey, our load truly is lightened and we find ourselves ever closer to living in harmony with our loving and good King.

What aspect of your life is Christ asking you to examine and to potentially change? Are you resisting the call you hear because you can’t imagine living differently than you do? Remember that in all things His grace is sufficient and His ultimate goal is not to cause you pain but, through the trials of this life, it is to bring you ever closer to being the child He created you to be. While change can be confusing and even frightening, remember that the one who calls you also holds all things in His hand and has already paid the ultimate price for you. If God is for us, who can ever be against us? (Romans 8:31)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God” ~Ephesians 2:8

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Be Not Conformed

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. ~Romans 12:2

 

One of the most shocking revelations of Jesus - both to His hearers then and to those who read and hear His words today - is his teaching that sin is not simply the physical act of doing something against the will of God but that it actually begins within our heart. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us:

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ~Matthew 5:27-28  

Here Jesus raises the bar from the physical act of committing adultery to even entertaining lustful thoughts about a woman. A few verses earlier He taught that harboring hatred toward your brother or sister is equated with murder. Our world and culture bombards us with images of sexuality and of violence and teaches us that it is natural and normal to think about these things. Scripture however, tells us not be conformed to this world and its teachings but rather to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Why? So that we may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect.

Each moment of each day, through every situation in which we find ourselves, we are presented with the opportunity to either choose to follow God or to choose to go our own way and submit to our own thoughts and passions. This choice - this battle - is made and fought in our hearts and in our minds. Moment by moment, we choose what to allow into our thoughts and what to focus our internal resources on. In the book of 2nd Corinthians Paul writes:

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ~2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Choosing to allow only those things that are true and worthy into our thoughts is a mighty battle. Here we must wage war against, not only the world and its messages, but against our own flesh and against Satan himself. We must never forget, however, that we do not wage this war on our own pitiful strength but we have the Spirit of the living God that raised Christ from the dead within us that strengthens and guides us. It is through His power that we gain the strength to take captive every thought to Christ.

I like to picture it this way. Imagine that you have a light inside of you - a physical light bulb - that shines the light of God's love. Above that light bulb is a water spout controlled by two spigots - one representing things holy and one representing things of the world. Whenever you think of things that are holy and good then it is like turning on the holy spigot and pure and clean water runs and washes the light bulb keeping it clean and shining brightly. Whenever you entertain thoughts of the world then it is like turning on the other spigot and the water changes to a dark and thick sludge that cakes the light bulb, baking onto it, and darkening its light making you look just like everybody else. 

It only takes a little sludge to darken the bulb and it takes a lot of water to get the bulb clean. Jesus tells us to be the light of the world, to be like a town built on a hill for others to see.  In the same way, Jesus says, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Guard your thoughts and let your light shine brightly!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things ~Philippians 4:8

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Brotherly Love

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ~John 3:16

Most all people know John 3:16 which speaks of God's love for us but how many people know 1 John 3:16 which talks of how then we are to show our love? We are to express the love of Christ to one another not just through feeling, speech, or blind donations but by acting out our love in each other's lives in tangible, real, and personal ways.

We live in a society blessed with an abundance of wealth. You may not look at your bank statement and think that you are overly wealthy as you compare yourself to Bill Gates, Donald Trump, or George Soros, but to much of the world you are indistinguishable from them in terms of riches. There are many countries where multiple families share single room shanties. To them, you have a mansion with more rooms than people! There are many in the world that search for food and water for their children each day. You most likely have a refrigerator full of food, much of which will end up going to waste as it goes bad and you throw it away without a thought.

When we think about these things, and many of us do, our response is to usually to find a good charity to support and throw some money at the problem. Then, our conscience abated, we go back to our daily lives secure in the knowledge that we are doing our share. But are we really doing what God calls us to do? Supporting charities with monetary pledges is a good thing and we should absolutely lift up and support our brothers and sisters in Christ who are sacrificing their lives and their time to make a difference in people's lives. But is that where we can and should stop?

The truth is that when I search the Scripture, I don't find anything like western charity. I don't see Jesus calling us to first take care of ourselves then throw some money at others that are willing to help those in need. Rather, I see a call to be intimately involved in the lives of those that are hurting and are in need. Jesus didn't say "go buy a homeless guy a lunch then come follow Me." Jesus said to sell all that you have, give to the poor, deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, and follow Him (Matthew 19:21, Luke 9:23).

To be clear, I don't believe that Jesus is saying that everybody must sell all their possessions and live a life of forced poverty. But He does mean that we must hold our possessions so loosely that, should He call us to, we are willing to give them to whomever might need them. Jesus boiled all of the Old Testament Law and Prophets down to two simple principles: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all strength, and will all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.

The picture of loving others that is painted for us in Scripture is not one of measured and thoughtful giving out of our excess and from afar, but one of radical, intimate, and interactive blessing out of the abundance of our love in real and tangible terms.  Continue to give to whatever charities that God has led you to support, but also find somebody today and show them the love of our Lord and savior by making a real and tangible difference in their life.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. ~1 John 3:16-18

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Is Jesus My King?

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord ~Philippians 2:10-11

Most Christians will confess that Jesus is King but how many of us actually live as though that were true? Is there any part of a kingdom that does not fall under the sovereign ruler-ship of the king? The fact is that most of us compartmentalize our lives. We have a spot for religion, for morality, for work, for school, for friends, for entertainment, for relaxation, for family, for finances, etc. We generally release complete control of our religion to Jesus, most of our morality, and of course, ten percent of our finances, but all rest we keep for ourselves and don’t allow Jesus to intrude on that which we consider to be wholly ours.

God did not create us for, and does not call us to, this sort of piecemeal surrender but rather to full reliance upon Him in every aspect of our lives. John 3:16 says that “whosoever believes in Him...” This word ‘believes’ does not mean a simple understanding that Jesus exists. It means that whoever fully trusts in Him, whoever wholly relies on Him, whoever completely surrenders to Him will not perish but have eternal life. After all, even the demons believe and they shudder (James 2:19)

How would your life look different if you completely surrendered every aspect of your existence to Jesus and allowed Him to take ownership of every compartment of your life? What if you asked yourself if Jesus would approve of that TV show, or if the money spent on that family vacation might be better spent on the purposes of your King? What if we took a moment to truly reflect on the implications of turning over control of all things to Him including recognizing that every single thing we have possession of (our house, our cars, all our money, our food, our clothes, etc) belong not to us but only to God? Would that understanding change the way we approach our giving or alter the way we prioritize our time?

As much as some may like an easy set of rules to follow, the fact is that there are no simple and pat answers to these questions. We must learn to prayerfully seek His will and guidance in all circumstances. We must seek the advice and counsel of the godly men and women that He has placed in our lives. And most of all, we must act in all things according to His reveled will and not ours. If we can learn to do this then He promises that He will direct our paths and that the faithful will meet their master with approval.

His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! ~Matthew 25:21

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Worldly Hope

Let the message of Christ dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom ~Colossians 3:16

In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells a parable about a man who spreads good seed. He uses this story to illustrate how different people receive the news of the gospel. Some of the seed that was spread fell among the thorns. These thorns, Jesus explains, represent the worries of this world and the seduction of wealth which come up to choke the Word and make a person unfruitful. We in the western world are living deep among the thorns and those thorns spring up around us to constantly try to choke the Word out of our lives and separate us from God.

Our culture constantly bombards us with the message that we are only truly secure if we have a large savings account, a good paying job, and some investments stashed away for retirement. It tells us that we can only be truly happy if we have the latest stuff: a nice car, a nice house, a big television. These things, while not bad in and of themselves, are the very things that tend to distract us and lure us to take our eyes off of God and His promises and to focus instead on the promises of the world.   

Where have you placed your hope? Do you let the thorns of this world, the want for money, prosperity, and security, along with the hectic concerns for your secular pursuits distract you from strengthening and deepening your relationship with God? Cast your concerns at His throne and seek His face in all things and help to lift up your brothers and sisters in Christ to do the same.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ~Philippians 4:6

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