Duty or Love

I have found that obedience to Him must come from a heart of love not a sense of duty if it is to bring me the rest necessary to continue to obey Him in all things. The obedience that comes from duty leaves me prone to search for other gods that I can love for the Christian walk is not an easy walk. And usually I don't have to look far. Just into the mirror in the morning. "Why not," duty asks, "do what's best for you not Him? Hasn't obedience too often led to sorrow and struggle?" When I look at my circumstances as proof of His love, I doubt His character and promises. I draw away from Him. He never draws away from me. But when I remember who He is, when I rest in who He is, when I long to love Him, obedience becomes a joy. That obedience teaches me to love Him more. I find that what's best for me is always obedience to Him. I have found that there is never a reason to disobey.

Why

I have found that the curse has been a blessing. The sweat and sorrow of life has always--if I submit to it as a gift from Him--allowed me to find His unconditional love, a growth in the strength of my character, a clarity about truth and the very few things that really matter, and an incomprehensible peace and joy that permeates my soul in the absolute worst human moments. Who but an all wise, all loving God could make the curse the foundation for love, strength, truthfulness, and joy? I have found it to be undeniably so. In the midst of doubting who He is, in the midst of a son with cancer and its lifetime complications, in the midst of betrayed love, in the midst of seeing God's work and God's men misrepresented and even lied about, in the midst of trying to raise two sons as a single father, in the midst of personal failure that was no one's fault by my own, in the midst of discouragement and despair, in the midst of wondering anxiously what God is up to in the lives of those I love most dearly, in the midst of doubting one's calling or wishing it was a different one, in the midst of the sweat, toil, and suffering of life, I have found Him always to be true, always to be faithful. Always. In the fiercest storms of life or in the gentle breezes of good times, He has given me the faith to soar on the wings of eagles.

I do not understand how, but I do understand why. No one loves me like He does.

Walking in Integrity

"He who walks in integrity, walks securely."

To walk in integrity is a difficult choice--only possible through the enabling of the Spirit. To walk in integrity is to live a life that is in perfect balance with what one claims to believe. It is to be who you say you are in light of what you claim to be true about God, His character, and His daily presence in your life and in your circumstances. Paul in the New Testament calls it "walking worthy." He uses a term related to scales used in the market place to buy food. You would put a one pound weight on one side of the scale and then put the produce on the other side--when the scale balanced, you had a "worthy" purchase. Spiritually, you have a worthy walk when what you claim to believe is in perfect balance with the life you live. And in perfect balance no matter who you are with and no matter the circumstances in which you find yourself. And any believer can live a life of integrity. It does not rest in how much you know, but how consistently you rest in the Spirit's control so that you live out what you know. It's not a matter of age, intelligence, or spiritual maturity, but a matter of submission to let Christ live through you--no matter what. Whether your circumstances are like a refreshing cool breeze on a hot summer's day, like an Arctic vortex on a frigid winter's morning, or like the whirlwind of a summer's destructive storm, you are the same--your behavior doesn't change. Your walk is a worthy walk--a walk of integrity. As David says, you are like a tree planted by the rivers of life--steadfast, and not like the wicked who in their self-centered meanderings through life are like the chaff that is tossed about in even the slightest breeze and devastated by life's whirlwinds.

Now, what are the basics of a walk of integrity?

First, it is an honest life. Honest in word--my "yes" is a "yes" and my "no" is a "no." Honest in walk--how I treat and respond to you today will be the exact same way that I treat and respond to you tomorrow. Honest in vulnerability--my faults are many, and I believe and am thankful that our Lord has put you in my life to strengthen me in my weaknesses; I cannot live this life without your exhortation, grace, and fellowship.
It is, in addition, a walk of speaking words that are a fountain of life. I must be slow to speak, careful to say what encourages and builds up in the faith. I must never forget that the tongue can start a raging fire in a drought-afflicted heart.
I must have a forgiving heart--a heart that readily forgives transgressions--eagerly forgives even those who have deliberately and maliciously hurt me and those I love. Even those who continue to do so.
I must have a teachable spirit--I must understand that I am called to be a life-long learner. No matter how deep my relationship with Him, I have barely "scratched the surface" in understanding the majesty of who He is. And my transformation into His likeness has barely begun. Godly wisdom rests on an understanding of how little I know.
I must have the fear of the Lord. My decisions must always be made with His heart in mind. I dare not grieve His love, dare not hurt His heart through willing disobedience--active or passive.
I must be diligent. I must do all that I do with all my might. He promises each day that I will have the strength I need to glorify Him in all things. I must rely on and use that strength day by day.
I must have His heart toward my money. He has called me to make a living for myself and my family--not to make a profit. My "extra" resources must be invested in the needs of others that He reveals to me. Only then will I truly grasp the real richness of life with Him as my Lord and my Provider.
I must have the right perspective. All my blessings--even the one's that don't seem like blessings--are a gift of His love and the working out of His wisdom in my life. Knowing that every blessing comes from Him, none of them are small, insignificant blessings. He deliberately gave them to me! Each day is a day that requires a heart of gratitude.

What are the "products" of a walk with integrity? What does security look like?
A life filled with memorials, memories of those times that He has shown His love for me--often when I least expected it, certainly when I did not deserve it. And as memorials to His love, I with joy can proclaim them to others. As His redeemed one, I can say so.
A life that when my parents think of me, their hearts are filled with joy.
A life that is immersed in an unquenchable gladness. I have an inescapable Hope--I will see Him. How can one who is the child of the Father by choice and adoption before the world began not be glad? How can a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords live in the regret of a grace cleansed past, live in anguish of today's challenges when I have a promise of a victorious present, or wallow in pity over an imagined future not to my liking when I am a joint-heir with my blessed Savior?

May God in His grace and love and discipline enable me to walk in integrity, to walk each day in security.

"He who walks in integrity will walk securely."

Diligence

I'm afraid that one of the most ignored commandments in the Bible is "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Or in the Iten translation: Regardless of your age, your gifts and talents, your intelligence, your physical strength, your economic situation--or whatever---God commands you to be diligent in all things!!!!

Diligence: the mindset to do all that you do with all that you are in a way that deeply desires this response from God: "Well done, good and faithful servant."

The End of Our Rope

The reason God sometimes takes us to "the end of our rope" is to remind us of the power of prayer.

Americans and Politics

I believe that we have too many politicians who believe that man is inherently good.

I believe that we have too many politicians who believe that the Good Samaritan was a fool.

I believe that we have too many politicians who get their "convictions" from the latest Gallop Poll.

I believe that we have too many politicians who support their party line instead of supporting the ideas that they know are right.

I believe that we have too many politicians who don't understand that "spin" makes them liars.

I believe that we have too many politicians and not enough statesmen--not enough men and women who really believe that they are meant to be servants, not lords.

I believe that we have too many Americans who are exactly like their politicians.

Losing Contentment

I begin to lose my contentment in the place where God has called me when:

I forget the need for accompanying godliness

I forget to rely on Christ for my strength

I worry more about tomorrow than the need to be obedient today

I spell my wants n-e-e-d-s.

I get comfortable murmuring

I forget the necessity for physical rest

I think "great gain" has something to do with my bank account

I minimize the power of acceptance and forgiveness

I get upset that people won't come to my pity-party--and bring gifts

I think that the primary reason God has me where I am is for my benefit

Contentment is a terrible thing to lose.

Lord of All!

Our Savior's Preeminence

"Now Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God. He existed before creation began, for it was through Him that everything was made, whether spiritual or material, seen or unseen. Through Him, and for Him, also, were created power and dominion, ownership and authority. In fact, every single thing was created through, and for, Him. He is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation. And now He is the head of the body which is the Church. Life from nothing began through Him, and life from the dead began through Him, and He is, therefore, justly called Lord of all. It was in Him that the full nature of God chose to live, and through Him God planned to reconcile in His own person, as it were, everything on earth and everything in Heaven by virtue of the sacrifice of the cross." (Phillips)

Lord of all!!!

Encouraging Words

Some encouraging words from a man who had no earthly reason to be encouraging:

"Though He slay me, I will hope in Him."

'Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes shall see and not another."

"But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."

He is the immovable anchor of our guaranteed hope.
Imagine! With your eyes you will see Him, and He will "clothe" you with an incorruptible, immortal body.
To be His gold and be "spent" by Him, you must be refined."

Paul--who knew a little about being refined, eh?--reminds us: "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!" Always.

Love Connection

Love on an earthly level is directly dependent on a person's love for God. I can only love as Christ loves me if I understand being loved unconditionally. I can love holy and purely when I understand holy and pure love. The person who understands God's love--and is growing deeper in His love for God--will himself, as the Spirit gains more and more control of His life, love others as God loves him. The person who is struggling with his understanding of how much God loves him, will struggle to love others as God loves. The one who loves God will reflect God's love. His love will be accepting because he knows that he is accepted in the Beloved. His love will be patient because he knows God's patient love for him. His love will be unconditional and faithful because he basks in the unconditional, faithful love of God. His love will be instantaneously forgiving because he knows the full and ready forgiveness of his Lord. His love, and his ability to love, will deepen and deepen as his understanding of the infinite, eternal love of God deepens and deepens as well.
So, if some of you reading this are anxious to find that someone special, be patient. Look for the man or woman deeply in love with their Savior. The person you marry will be able to love you only as deeply as he or she loves Him. If someone reading this is struggling with love in a marriage, it is your love for Christ and your understanding of His love for you that is the issue. Christ never falls out of love with you, you fall out of love with Him through willful disobedience--and it is reflected in your ability to love as He loves in your earthly relationships.
We love Him because he first loved us--that's the love of grace and mercy. We love others that they might experience and know in a visible, tangible way, His love. And if you want to experience such love, find the man or woman who understands such love. And if you have already made the commitment to love someone that way, do it. Don't love as Judas "loved."

Take Comfort

In Isaiah 40 God through His prophet tells His people that they can--and should--find their comfort in Him. And then He tells them why:

"I AM the God of forgiveness--the God who forgives the unworthy; the God who forgives your sin, your iniquity, and your transgressions. The God who forgives you for everything.
I AM the God of activity--tireless, never weary of doing good for My people, always at work exercising My sovereign will.
I AM the God of glory--all the nations of the world will one day recognize My presence; they and their leaders are to Me, at the height of their power, no more significant than a drop in the bucket--and even that is an exaggeration. I do not tremble at their arrogance. I laugh in scorn.
I AM the God of faithfulness--My Word, every word of it, can be trusted completely--every jot and tittle, every promise.
I AM the God who communicates with man; the God of good news--good news to be shouted from the mountaintops.
I AM the God of power--your Captain--yet, I exercise My omnipotence through gentleness, through rewarding My children in the here and now.
I AM the God of love who shepherds My people, meeting their every need, leading them every day, scattering the wolves, in the darkness of their nights guarding the entrance to the fold with My very presence.
I AM the God of majesty--I measure the immeasurable.
I AM the God of wisdom--infinite and inscrutable wisdom--I answer to no one; all must--and will--answer to Me.
I AM the Holy God--there is none like Me; "to whom then will you liken God?" is the rhetorical question of the ages.
I AM the God of creation--the stars that man cannot even begin to count, I know by name--I named them all. I tend to them all.
I AM the God of renewal--I delight in strengthening those who wait in confidence on Me; I delight in strengthening you--and My supply of strength is limitless."

Yes, He is the God who cares. He is your God, this God who calls out to His people--shouts out to His people--"Take comfort in Who I AM. Do not wallow in the hideous lie of self-pity."

I would be found, always, "leaning on the Everlasting Arms." "Safe and secure from all alarms." Comforted in all my tribulations.

The Weapon

Why is it that we believe that we have any chance of winning the spiritual battle against spiritual enemies when we spend so little time wielding the spiritual weapon of prayer? And there isn't a moment in any day in the heat of the battle that we cannot wield it! "Pray without ceasing" is not a suggestion. It's the key to daily victorious living.

Decisions

Our lives are full of decision-making. Anf those times require us to deal with certain questions. We need to decide what to do. And often we struggle with when to do something, how to do it ((How many people have been turned away from God's grace and love by a Christian doing the right thing the wrong way?), and, of course, why are we making that decision--what are our motivations? If only we could rely on the advice of Yogi Berra: "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
We should first consider a couple of preliminaries. If we haven't developed good decision making skills in the "small" things, we'll struggle mightily with the "big" things. If I have not made a "habit" of applying God's wisdom to all my decisions, the crisis times are dreadful. In addition, I must always remember that I am making the decision that pleases Him--not anyone else. My decision may please others, but it may also anger and upset others. Faith requires that I do what is right in His eyes--so it's always done lovingly--and leave the consequences to His perfect wisdom. It also requires that I have a heart of gratitude in the midst of the consequences knowing that He works all things for the praise and glory of His name. And the good of His people--corporately and individually. I can always come up with a human reason for doing what I want to do. If they ever taught a course on rationalization, I'd ace it hands down. But I must rely on His wisdom and direction--not my own.

Thus, the first question must always be "is this decision right or wrong biblically?" I must always do the right thing--no exceptions. Yet, as long as I am not making a decision that the Bible declares to be sinful, I have the freedom to make that decision. What I must do is delight in Him and then, He promises to direct my path--to keep me off the path of thorns. Yes, He promises! I must acknowledge His hand in the decision, see Him at work in my circumstances, and follow. He desires to delight in my desires.

I've always been one of those folks who goes until He shuts the door. (And then pouts awhile.) And He has always led me to the open door of His choosing in His time. Such a ricocheting from closed door to closed door has led me to where I am today--teaching lovely young Christians a little bit of English, and I pray, the loveliness of a walk with Jesus on a daily basis. I do think we need to add a verse to that little chorus "God is so good." The new verse should say, "God is so patient."

And the motivation for the decision, not just the decision itself, must be tested against the teaching of God's Word. It is all too easy to build with hay and wood instead of gold and precious stones. We must make decisions based firmly on the prayer, "not my will, but Thine." And then not feel guilty when He gives us the desires of our heart, but enjoy them thankfully.

Finally, and I'm not saying this to encourage you to not seek God's will, but I rejoice in the fact that His love has taken my disobedience, my wrong motivations, my wrong methodology and used even those decisions to glorify His name and do good. He has always loved me enough to break my pride, wound my heart, and then send me to where He wants me wiser and gentler, and more loving and patient with others, than I was before in my selfishness.

Decisions to make? Pray for insight. Critique all decisions and the motivations for making those decisions, large or small, using God's Word as the only standard for evaluation. Knock on the doors. If they don't open, don't pout for too long, look for the door He's opening. Then, when you come to the fork in the road, take it. He will go down it with you whichever path you take. And He will bring His patient love and grace with Him. And if it's the wrong road, He'll use it to reaffirm the right road--and to get you back on it--broken but more useful. The one answer you can be sure of is, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. Even when you are faithless, I will be faithful. You cannot escape my love."

Choose wisely--it's so less painful. Rest in His love. Delight in Him. The path leads Home. Even the detours. Always.

God's Heart

One thing is undeniably true: God has a heart for the poor--both in terms of how we interact with them on a personal level and how we help them meet their needs. Solomon tells us that to not have God's heart for the poor is to taunt Him. Sound like a good idea to you: to taunt God? Other places in Scripture tell us that to not visibly demonstrate God's heart for the poor is to blaspheme His name--to put His testimony that He is love up to ridicule and shame before a watching world. Sound like being a good witness to you? Paul tells us that we are to use our excess resources to help the working poor meet their needs, that those who are financially blessed should be eager to use their blessing to be generous, to be on the alert for opportunities to share their earthly wealth because only by doing so will they be able to grasp fully the real richness and meaning of life. James, as I've mentioned before, tells us that we should be dedicated to helping the widows and orphans in their need. Paul also adds that if a church has widows that have unmet needs that that church is pagan not Christian. And, I believe the same holds true for single moms. Am I and the church I attend committed to the upholding of the name of Christ and the glory of His gracious, loving character? Only to the degree to which we have God's heart for the poor.

Jesus Loved Them

There are lots of instructive truths in Jesus' relationship with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Here are a few that always cause me to pause, reflect, and examine where I am in my walk with Him.

First, it says that Mary chose the one necessary thing--to spend time at Jesus' feet learning of Him. It was not that she chose "one of" the necessary things. She chose "THE" necessary thing. How necessary is time alone with Him to me? There is no doubt how much His heart desires such devotion.

John tells us, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." The reason He allowed them to experience such heartache and confusion and disappointment was not because He was angry with them or disappointed in them but because He knew that this testing of their faith would lead them to a deeper, fuller understanding of His character and His power--a deeper understanding of "God is love." In times of testing and sorrow am I looking for the revelation of His love for me? What a tragedy if I miss it.

I also find it interesting that when Martha got up and left the house no one moved, but when Mary got up to leave the house, everybody got up and went with her. When I am struggling to deepen my relationships with others, could it be that the real problem is the shallowness of my relationship with Him? Is there an undeniable, direct correlation between the depth of my love for Him and my ability to love and relate to others?

After Lazarus is raised from the dead, the family has a dinner, no doubt to celebrate the miracle. Guess what? Martha is busy serving. Mary is at His feet performing an act of sacrificial love and worship--anointing Him for His death. (Wow! At least one person understood why He had come!) And at least Martha's not complaining this time. (Judas was doing that!) I guess the mindset that God wants our quiet adoration and a deepening relationship to Him more than He wants our service is a difficult lesson to digest and embrace. I am delighted that God is patient with slow learners! I know one of those. And not only is He patient with slow learners: "Now Jesus loved Martha."

And what is the greatest truth in this story that always causes my heart to sing and dance for joy? "I AM the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" I do--with all my heart.

The Problem

The problem is not immorality, social injustice and poverty, saltless salt, an abnegation of our responsibilities to the Creation, materialism, evil corporations, conviction-less power-hungry leadership, hatred and abuse, conscienceless violence or anything else you want to add to the list. They are all just symptoms of the real disease--the real problem: man has a wicked heart. And all the good intentions in the world cannot change one heart. Hearts must be changed by the power of God. Only faith in Christ can make a man a new creation--begin the transformation process in a human heart. And the foolishness God uses to bring a man to Christ is the teaching of His Word. Do you really care about those symptoms above? Then share the foolishness of the Gospel with those around you. And those whom the Spirit transforms will join you in treating the symptoms of man's wicked heart--beginning with their own. It is only to the degree that God's Word becomes active in His new creations--starting with me--that evil can be defeated in any culture in any tangible, lasting way.

Presumption

To immerse myself in God's peace, I must rely on His perfect will being worked out in the lives of those I treasure as I patiently wait for Him to reveal and to accomplish His purpose for those who have become an inseparable part of who I am in Christ. And I must rely on His Spirit to take the foolishness of my words to touch the hearts of those I love. I must also understand that to wait for His work in their lives without intercessory prayers on their behalf is presumptuous sin.

Abiding

If a believer is abiding in Christ, there are certain traits that will be evident in his or her life:

a resting in Him, a deep sense of trust in His goodness;
a total dependence on Him--an unpretentious humility that knows that the glory for all things accomplished is His and His alone;
an unflinching desire for His will;
an incomprehensible joy;
a sense of His presence--an unquenchable heart knowledge of His great love for His child; a love as strong and deep and inescapable as the Father's love for His Son;
answered prayer--to the Father, through the Son, "verbalized" in the inexpressible groanings for God's perfect will by the indwelling Holy Spirit;
the animosity of the world--a hatred that is neither asked for nor a source of pride but rather something that breaks the heart and brings tears, not of self-pity, but of evangelistic love;
a commitment to encouraging His other children--a deep desire to spend time with them in mutual edification;
a longing to see His face--the moment He is willing, an understanding that he is not of this world but an ambassador sent on a mission of love;

And what is the secret to abiding in Christ? Unwavering obedience.

Our Purpose

Our purpose in life--regardless of our calling--is quite simple. By His grace we have become His children, and we have been indwelt by Him in the person of the Holy Spirit. "He that has this hope in him purifies himself even as He is pure." Our purpose is to become more and more like Him on a daily basis--to "practice" righteousness, to submit to the life of the True Vine and thus, to daily produce more and more of the Spirit's fruit--love, joy, peace, gentleness, faithfulness . . . in our walk. These are the evidence, the outward manifestations of an intimate, abiding relationship with my Savior. His expectation is that we are being transformed into His likeness.
And that requires some taking away; there must be less of me evident to others if more of Him is going to be evident to others. That's why trials are so essential in my walk with Him. In my pride I am too often not willing to readily give up the "things" I like about me nor the attitudes and viewpoints that I cherish as essential to having the acceptance and approval of others. Thankfully, He is not in the least bit "squeamish" about removing those things from my life that are detrimental to my usefulness in His kingdom. After all, I do not "manufacture" Christ-likeness in my life. It only comes about by His Spirit's "cleaning" out of my life those negative traits and ideas that are designed for me to gain man's approval, including, if not especially, my own. As that cleaning out process matures me--as I allow the Spirit to let the new creation--the new life that's in me--resonate through me, Christ's presence in the world--His glory--amazingly and incomprehensibly becomes evident in my life. In my life! His glory! Astounding grace!
And He will never in this life divert His energies--His power--from effecting such transformation in my life--on a daily basis. The carrying of my cross is not a haphazard, when I feel like it, activity. It is a daily requirement for discipleship, for glorifying Him. Less of me. More of Him. That is His purpose for my life. Today! And it begins with a taking away--a cleansing accomplished through His Word actively exposing those things in my life that need rooting out no matter how much I cherish them. The Spirit takes the trials of my life, immerses them in the teaching of the Word, and daily strives to transform me. His message to my heart--to my loves and my will--is: "This is who you are; this is what I want and need you to be. You do not need the approval of men. If that's what you want, they are your masters and you are their slave. For a life that makes an eternal difference, you need My approval. You need to love Me by being obedient to the changes I desire for you to humbly embrace. Yes, as the infinite, wise, loving God, I know the transformation, the taking away, that is necessary. I know what needs to be put to death in your life today."

May the song of our heart be, "O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art! Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; stamp Thine own image deep in my heart."

"Come in Thy sweetness."

Second Hand

Beware of a second hand relationship with the Word of God. Get into the book yourself! You can be going to church every time the doors are open, listening to Christian music, reading books on the Bible, and--stagnate as a Christian unless you yourself are in the book--reading and studying. Develop an intimacy with the Book and the Spirit who uses the book to show you who you are, who He is, and how you can become more like Him on a daily basis. A second hand relationship is not enough--not nearly enough.

Builders

Anyone can tear down. In fact, we do it so naturally because negativity just flows from our sinful, prideful heart. Building up--edifying--takes conscious effort--effort that begins in our thoughts. Put your mouth on pause tomorrow; after you've thought about what you were going to say--if it would tear down, don't say it. If it would encourage, comfort, edify, exhort positively, strengthen--speak. Words are not easily forgotten. If you don't have anything constructive to say, smile and hug. That will be remembered too. Be a builder of lives--a conscious, deliberate builder.

Redeem the Time

Time is a gift from God. Redeem it! How?

Rejoice in each moment of this day! Yes, every moment. Demonstrate a child's heart.

Treasure those in your life that God has given you to make you rich. Let them know you treasure them with your words and actions.

Spend time alone with the One who gave you this day to draw closer to Him so He can draw closer to you--which is the deep desire of His heart.

No murmurings. They kill a thankful heart.

Sing.

Don't despise the little things that His love gives you every day. You'll be surprised some day at how big they were.

Remember those past blessings.

Be anxious for nothing. Cast your burdens on Him. A simple prayer will do it.

Build up those around you! Anyone can tear down.

Eagerly anticipate that this will be the day He comes to make all things right.

Paul

There is a word in the New Testament that we often just slide right over when we should just stop for a moment and contemplate its lesson. The word? "Paul." Here was a man born a Roman citizen--a man of prestige. Here was a highly educated man especially in Judaism--he sat at the feet of one of their all time great teachers: Gamaliel. Here was a man of leadership--a Pharisee of the Pharisees. Here was a man who put into practice what he believed with all diligence. Here was a man who hated Christianity and the name of Jesus. Cheered at the death of Stephen and then in brutal cruelty tried to wipe Christians from the face of the earth--both men and women. His hateful zeal was so strong that he wasn't satisfied with just trying to rid Jerusalem of Christ's followers, he was going to go wherever he could go in order to attack and destroy them. Damascus--and who knows where else was on his list of targets. We don't know for sure what was eating at his soul--Stephen's face glowing at his trial, his call for forgiveness as they stoned him to death, the faithfulness of the believers that he persecuted as they refused to blaspheme the name of their Savior. No one could see his heart but our Lord and Savior. But this we know--he was saved by the grace of God. He was transformed into a child of God, a faithful witness to Jew and Gentile, a man who lived a life of steady obedience to the Lord he came to know and love--faithful, no matter what.
Lessons: Two, at least, come to mind; in a sense they are intertwined. First, God's grace can save anyone. The best education, tremendous intellect, positions of authority, religious zeal and fervency, hatred for the Christian message and Christians--nothing is a hindrance to the Spirit's work of grace in any person's heart. Any person can be saved by grace. Which leads me to the next lesson. Second, who is that I know who seems so arrogantly, blasphemous toward the gospel that I've assumed that he or she is beyond the reach of grace? Who is it I have quit praying for that he or she might find the Redeemer because I think it is impossible for God to reach such a heart? Shame on me! May I stop for a moment and reflect the next time I open one of the epistles of the New Testament and read these words, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." Keep praying. With our God of infinite forgiveness and infinite grace nothing is impossible. Nothing.

Doers

When James admonishes us to be "doers of the word and not merely hearers," he immediately tells us what we should be doing:

Taking care of orphans and widows,
Keeping ourselves unstained by the world.

How are you doing?

2014

I gave up on New Year's resolutions years ago. Who wants to feel like a failure on January 2nd? What I do instead is make a list of prayer requests for the coming year. I begin, of course, with the prayer request that is the foundation of our prayer life: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Here are my others as I begin a New Year in His presence:

1. May you Lord by any means necessary continue to draw me and the ones I love closer to your heart.
2. May you remind me on a daily basis that I do not have the strength necessary to do what you have called me to do. I need to rely on your strength and power--which is always enough for each day.
3. May I have the vision to see all the wonderful things--"great" and "small"--that you bring into my life on a daily basis so my heart of gratitude will be unceasingly overflowing.
4. May each student in my classes know that regardless of their academic prowess or even their desire to serve and follow you that they are unconditionally loved and that that love is only possible because you first loved me.
5. May the beauty of the Acres constantly remind me that you are the Creator and the source of all that is lovely and that you are "Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature."
6. May "the beauty of Jesus be seen in me." When this year is over, may I be more like you than I have ever been before.
7. May I pray daily for those you have chosen to put in position of authority knowing with confidence that the heart of the king is in your hands.
8. When I look into the mirror of your Word, may I not walk away unchanged.
9. When I walk through difficult days and the circumstances seem to say, "He is not here. He cannot be in this"--may I remember that your goodness permeates all things and that it is by faith in Who you are that I please you and may I soar on the eagle's wings that you provide in the winds of adversity. May I be faithful to you no matter what.
10. May I live a life of visible joy. Each day may you put a song in my heart.
11. As you lay before me needs that I can meet, may I trust in your provision and give sacrificially and as anonymously as possible to meet those needs.
12. "Even so, come Lord Jesus!"

2013

2013 is about to become the past--forever. It has been an eventful year for this chubby old bald guy. After I had been taking care of Mom for over four years that ministry ended when the Lord took her Home in late February to a reunion with Pop and the old Chatham church gang. I never imagined that such a ministry of one was part of my future; yet, I loved that the Lord saw fit to use me in such a way. And the Acres that He had given me years before were a perfect fit for the days Mom and I had together. (She loved them as much as I do.) Imagine that--He knew what was coming years before it arrived and had "made arrangements."
And I really believed that once she went Home that I would probably lose the Acres. Especially after I had looked unsuccessfully for work just about everywhere; and in addition, couldn't find anyone willing to refinance the old Homestead. And then, He opened another unseen, unexpected door--back to a ministry of the hundreds. (How did I even make it from February to August? Hadn't even thought of that miracle.) If you had told me last year at this time that I would be back in the classroom torturing students, I would have laughed--loudly. It was not in my plans--remotely. Yet, He opens the door where He needs us (and closes the other doors we're trying to kick down), and puts us to "work" back in the kingdom. I suppose if the school can continue to tolerate me as its resident IDE, I will continue on as long as the Lord gives me the health to do so. (IDE: Idealistic Dinosaur Educator--a rare species that should be extinct, but has at least one survivor still hanging around, hiding out in classrooms.)
And I still have this totally illogical ministry of trying to minister to others that I've known from my high school days til today through technology which I despise. A ministry that came into existence because I was at home all day taking care of Mom. (Blame my sister Chloe and her husband Larry; they gave me the computer.)
I even ended up with a pet through all this "stuff." Well, a new boss.

What lessons have I been taught in 2013?

1. God has a plan. Precious in His sight is the homegoing of one of His kids--even the kids that are 99 years old.
2. And He makes His plan known so that even the dumbest of His children can see what He has for them to do next.
3. You don't have to wait to go to Heaven to bask in God's goodness. He's active right now in your life doing indescribable good things.
4. God can use anything/everything He's given you to do His will. Five acres in the country. A computer even. Who knew?
5. And the greatest lesson of all. Shame on the Christian who does not have an overflowing heart of gratitude toward the Lover of his soul.

Who knows what 2014 will bring? He does. And it will be good--as promised.