Moths

One of the most dangerous consequences of a life of deliberate disobedience is the loss of spiritual discernment. What makes it even more devastating is that, as the prophets warn us, it happens so subtly, so slowly. It's like a moth in a closet slowly eating away at a garment. You don't even notice that His omniscient, loving wisdom has been usurped by your own finite, arrogant, self-serving wisdom. Talk about a tragedy waiting to happen. If you are God's child, you're about to walk off a very high cliff that you don't even know is there. And the people you love are going to be following you right off that cliff.

I am in trouble when I forget that the number one person the Lord needs to deliver me from is myself.

Seeing as God Sees

To see the world as God sees it, one cannot help but be a "man of sorrows" and a friend of grief. Yet, to see the world as God sees it is to embrace that sorrow as the gift the Spirit uses to fill a man with compassion for others, with a heart that longs to comfort the sorrowful, and with a heart that readily sees the needs of others as greater than his own.
To see the world as God sees it is to find joy in the midst of trials, to find strength to bear the cross of each day, to find contentment in little or much, to find hope when things are out of one's control, to find the ability to love others deeply in the midst of the apathy and even in the midst of the hatred of others. To see the world as God sees it is to be unafraid of the loneliness you fear the most because in the midst of it, He is always there.
To see the world as God sees is to develop a desire for times of aloneness with Him. To desperately long for times of quiet in His presence with His thoughts resting in your lap opening your soul for times of meditation, contemplation, and confession. Yet, to see the world as God sees it is to long for times of refreshing, acceptance, love, and praise in the presence of the congregation, in the unity of the body.
To see the world as God sees it is to deeply, impatiently long for His return to set things right on the earth. Yet to see the world as God sees it is to realize that man given a perfect kingdom where righteousness reigns, where there is only peace and no war, where social justice is supreme is not enough to bring man contentment and happiness. At the first opportunity, he--the heart of man is desperately wicked--will try to overthrow that kingdom and free himself from the rule of God. To see the world as God sees it is to realize that God on the throne of earth is not enough to defeat the selfish desires of man's heart. The only thing that can do that is God on the throne of a man's heart.
To see the world as God sees it is to rest in the truth that now--today--I can have abiding, ruling, in my heart faith, hope, and love. And that the greatest of these is love.

"Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth Thou has for me; place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for Thee, ready my God, Thy will to see; open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!"

Shepherds

The difference between a good shepherd and a false shepherd is fairly obvious. The good shepherd is motivated by self-sacrifice and the false shepherd is motivated by self-preservation. (And it is never more obvious than in the crisis moment.) To minister is to serve not to be served. And in the place where He has called you, you are not to build a kingdom for your glory but to be the "least in the kingdom" for His glory. Any other attitude puts the well-being of the sheep in your care in grave jeopardy. I wonder how many of us that have been called to minister to the needs of others--both spiritual and physical--more closely resemble the hireling rather than the Chief Shepherd, perhaps, without even knowing it? May God remind me every day that I am the least important person in my classroom. With the greatest responsibility to touch the life of each student with the love of the Shepherd.

And by the way: we are all called to minister to the needs of others--both physical and spiritual. Both physical and spiritual--not either/or.

Blindness

There is a phrase in Phillips "The New Testament in Modern English" that most clearly--in my opinion--sums up humanity apart from Christ: "They live blindfolded in a world of illusion." I've quoted that phrase at times in my writings. Some ideas that I've encountered in the last couple weeks--but certainly not for the first time--have reinforced that description for me. One of those ideas is the statement that professed atheists keep making about their not believing in God but at the same time being spiritual people. If someone doesn't believe in God, surely they also believe that man is just a complex piece of matter without a soul or a spirit. How can a physical "being" without a soul or spirit be spiritual? "They live blindfolded in a world of illusion."
The other idea that keeps cropping up in my readings the last few weeks is the idea that humanists are placing their faith in humanity to make a better world. How can anyone look at human history from the distant past to this morning's paper and have the slightest faith that man will build a better world? To me, that is undeniably naive "blind faith." "They live blindfolded in a world of illusion."
The danger that I face when reflecting on those thoughts is pride. Except for God's Spirit taking off my blindfold and showing me my Savior, my thought processes would be just as illusionary. How I must respond is to first in all humility thank my God for His working in my life, and then, on my knees, humbly pray earnestly that He will do the same for those wandering in such a deep darkness--"proclaiming themselves to be wise and proving themselves to be foolish." Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He has by His grace saved me. And as the Light of the World, He calls out to humanity to follow Him, to see Him as He is, the Savior of mankind. Their Savior.

"The Light of the World is Jesus." And He can--and desires--to still cause the blind to see. "He who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." May I plead with Him each day to use me as His light in a dark world.

In the Midst

Sometimes in the midst of disappointment or in the midst of sorrow as I look around at the circumstances in which I find myself, I have the tendency to want to lash out at God and ask Him what in the world He's up to--can't He--shouldn't He be doing more (Of course, more for me and those I love is what I mean). And then the Spirit quietly whispers to my heart and soul, "Your Savior willingly left Heaven to come to earth and die a horrible death in order that you might through My wooing spend eternity in His presence free from all sin and disappointment and sorrow. Free from all. Forever. And then He promises you that all things will work to the good of those who love Him. All things. Will--not might. And then He promises you that nothing at all can separate you from such amazing love--nothing; for all of eternity. What is this "more" that you're asking for?" And then on my knees and in my heart I must cry out, "Yes, Lord. You are all I need."

Good Manners Matter

I Corinthians 13:5 says of love, "Love is not rude." Or as Phillips puts it "Love has good manners and does not seek selfish advantage." That, sadly, hits everyone of us "right where we live," as they say. The love of Christ constrains us to be gentlemen and ladies. That puts love in the practical world, doesn't it? Holding the door open for a young lady, guys, is an act of Christ-like love. Good table manners are an act of love. God gives us some remarkably simple ways to demonstrate His love to others. Being polite and courteous is an act of love toward God. If we really love as we ought, we prefer others over ourselves and doing things for them--and doing things in a way that will not offend them--becomes natural for us. Or should I say naturally supernatural for us?
Do you think you could get someone to fall in love with you if you slammed the door in his or her face, ate like a slob on dinner dates, never bathed or brushed your teeth or combed your hair, wore dirty, unkempt clothes, left their house a mess every time you visited, never said "thank you" or showed them any respect and admiration, always interrupted or talked out loud when they were trying to listen to someone else? That would be stupid you say--and you're right. That would be stupid! But neither will we attract a lost world to Christ if we act that way in their presence. Neither will the love of Christ dominate our Christian circles if we act that way toward each other.
The simplest service performed by a heart of love never goes unnoticed by God or men. Do not doubt for a moment that when you hold the door for someone, or say "thank you," or commend someone that has done well, or even clean up your mess at McDonald's, that it is not for your Savior that you offer those simple demonstrations of love. And do not doubt that the world notices the distinction as well between you and most other people.
Have you slipped in your "maturity" lately? It is not carelessness nor is it insignificant. It is not "no big deal." It is a sign of a selfish lack of love and concern for those around you. And a disregard for the love that God expects His children to display. God's love active and alive in our hearts motivates us to be the ladies and gentlemen that we ought to be.
God says that the love that His Spirit puts in our hearts "is not rude." Can that be said of your love?

Mary Magdalen

I've been imagining again.  Sorry . . .

One story that's been on my heart--it's on my heart a lot--is the incident with our Savior and Mary Magdalen in the garden after the resurrection. You don't really believe that she was the only one with tears in her eyes, do you? He is moved with our struggles as only Infinite Love can be moved. He weeps with those who weep. Been sitting alone somewhere lately crying tears of disappointment or discouragement? Please don't believe that you shed one tear alone.
And she was right to mistake Him for the gardener. Is He not the Gardener of the beauty of the earth? I rejoice at His gardening skill all spring and summer. And aren't you thankful that even though The Fall brought weeds into our life, it didn't take away the flowers? Grace we call that. Infinite grace. I've experienced a few thorny situations in my life, but when I stopped to meditate on the Gardener, I've found myself inundated with the beautiful "flowers" of His gracious love. Haven't you?
And I'm convinced He was into hugs. I mean, what did He tell Mary right after He whispered her name--yes, He whispered it? "Wait, wait a minute Mary. No hugs--yet" (Itenese translation). Our situation, of course, is the exact opposite. Hug them while you can! You never know when they might go Home to see our Father. I can easily think of a lot of folks I wish I could hug one more time. You? Well, then . . . hugs all around.
And I can see Mary rolling her eyes when she told the disciples that she had seen Him, and they doubted her testimony. "Men." But I'll bet her eyes didn't stop sparkling and weeping and dancing--to keep up with her feet, even though she may have been "walking on air." When you've encountered His presence in your life, don't let the doubters keep your heart from the dance of faith and joy. "Men."

The Darkness

Darkness. The world is in darkness. The tragedy is that they call their darkness "light." As Jesus said, "How great is the darkness!" What is the one thing the darkness needs? Genuine light. Light that glorifies the Father who is in Heaven.

The light of holy living. We are called to be saints, holy ones, set apart ones. We are to live lives distinguished by purity. We are to be distinctive in our walk. As distinctive as light is from darkness. If we are not, we have hidden the light under baskets of conformity. We have become a part of the darkness. We live lives of deceit--to the eternal detriment of those walking in the darkness and in their blindness.

The light of compassion. Visible, undeniable acts of compassion should permeate our lives. We need the compassion that when it looks out over our Jerusalem and all its darkness and hatred for the Light of the World that we are moved--not to anger and condemnation--but to broken-hearted tears. And action. Need-focused acts of compassion.

The light of contentment. We need to demonstrate that we are satisfied with whatever He has given us. We need to live lives that demonstrate that we are confident in His goodness and that if we need more, that He will graciously provide more. We need to refuse to bow down to the materialism of our culture, a culture whose "dream" is financial excess to feed unnecessary wants.

The light of love. True love is founded on, rests on, obedience to God. "Love" that is outside obedience and submission to God's Word is not love at all. Love that flows from obedience to God is the love that can choose not to love the world and the things in the world, can choose to love my neighbor as He loves me, can choose to love my enemies down on my knees in prayer for God to put a desire in their hearts to come to the Light of Everlasting Love. God is love. The fruit of the Spirit is love.

The light of faithfulness. In a world filled with sorrow and heartbreak we must live lives that demonstrate our trust in His love and wisdom. We must--in the midst of our tears--demonstrate that He is the God of all comfort. And that we will rest in Him no matter what. Continue to follow Him no matter what. And then we must be His comforters to others in their times of sorrow.

Men will not respond well to the light. It exposes their willing self-deception. It demonstrates that their "light" is darkness. Yet, we must shine. There are those in the darkness who are groping around looking for the light. With our lives and our words we must bear witness to the Light of the World so that those who are seeking can find Him.

We must be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Yes, being His light is hard work. But it's a labor of love. And it will bring glory to our Father.

Regeneration

Regeneration creates a changed life. The sanctification process that always accompanies regeneration means that the life keeps changing--growing in truth and grace. If there's never been any change, it's because regeneration has not occurred. No growth? No life.

First Love

We love because He first loved us.

He loved us when we were at enmity with Him.
He loved us when we were in slavery to our sin.
He loved us when we not the slightest bit interested in His doing so.
He loved us and we hadn't asked Him to do so.

How many people did I show His love to today who fall into those categories?

Profund Love

The deepest, most profound, most genuine love is so often expressed in the simplest ways. Those that love us spontaneously declare their love for us in the most ordinary ways that we fail to see and sense the love in their actions and instead relegate those actions to the routine. No act of love is routine or small or ordinary no matter how simply it is expressed. And when we fail to see the love in such behaviors we rob ourselves of the exquisite joy of knowing we are loved. And we let our inattentiveness--self-absorption--squelch the thankfulness that should be growing in our hearts. See! Look! Understand the simple ways those in your life declare their love for you in the ordinariness of every day. And continue to deeply love those that God has put into your life in those simple profound ways whether they sense your love or not.
If you must be thanked for your acts of love or praised for your acts of love, then your "lover" is yourself.

One Day

A question--or two--for today: Can I as this day winds down think of one person whose life I touched today? One person who because they spent a moment with me knows that he or she is loved--or even just appreciated? One? Can I think of one stranger whose life I touched today because they had a "chance"--God-ordained--encounter with me today? Surely, I didn't encounter someone today in such a way that if he or she came into my church on Sunday morning and saw and recognized me, that that person would turn and leave?
You know that old saying, 'Only one life will soon be . . ." It should say "Only one day will soon be . . ." What in my life was done in such a way that it will "last"?

A Reminder

Reminder:
The steps to having God's peace in your life: First, a life filled with praise--rejoice in the Lord always. Then, a life of demonstrated compassion--be gentle toward all men. Next, a steadfast, confident trust--don't be anxious about anything. Finally, time each day for thankful prayer--cast all your care on Him. And the result of those priorities? "The peace of God which is beyond human comprehension will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus."
If you're lacking God's peace in your life, one of those "steps" of obedience is missing.

Pursuits

 We are so dedicated to the pursuit of material, external things as if they somehow are the source of happiness. The happiness they afford is just as temporary as they are. What's that old saying? "If there's too much, something is missing." The life that satisfies is the one that gives us the joy that can sing in any trouble and the peace that is incomprehensibly steadfast in the midst of the fiercest whirlwind. We know that, but we so often get swept up in the pursuit of the things that don't matter. And when God allows us to obtain them, we wonder why they bring us no joy, peace, or contentment. It's because they are worthless; they are efficacious for nothing. Stop and honestly ask yourself "what am I pursuing?" My list of priorities will clearly explain my apathy toward the things of God.  They are a revealing list of what I have committed my energies to other than my love for Christ--the things I covet more than I desire a deepening relationship to Him, more than I desire the "Well done, good and faithful servant."  And parents, don't think for a moment that your kids don't notice what's important to you. Pursue what you know is real--a life founded on obedience to the Savior of your souls who tells us to "set your heart on His kingdom and His goodness, and all these things will come to you as a matter of course." And who warns us, "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." We know that He pleads with us to pursue His face--His presence, to draw nearer to Him. Don't go in the other direction in pursuit of earth's emptiness. Willful sin is self-inflicted pain.

Weapons

Two of the Christian soldiers most effective weapons are gentleness and meekness because they must always be wielded with humility, mercy, and grace.

68

68. That's the magic number. If the Lord gives me my three score and ten, I've got at least two left. These are a few of the things the Lord has taught me--and is teaching me--through all these years. You didn't think I wasn't going to try to "teach" a little bit on my birthday, did you? Here's just a few--only ten--bits of old man advice.

1. Celebrate each day--regardless of the circumstances! You are still here because the King of Kings has something for you to do today in His name and for His glory. Don't waste it on moping and a pity party.
2. A broken heart is one of His most loving gifts to you.
3. Long after my students forget everything I tried to teach them, they will remember how honestly I loved them, loved Him, and was honored if they chose to love me.
4. Treasure your friends--of all ages.
5. You do not need to know and understand what He's doing, just trust and obey.
6. Take your blindfolds off--His beauty is reflected all around you.
7. You cannot change a single heart--pray to the One who can.
8. There's a whole lot more that you don't know then there is that you do know.
9. Be a student of the Word.
10. May your last prayer every day be "Even so, come Lord Jesus!"

In year 68, Mom went Home to be with Pop and her myriad of friends; the Lord has graciously allowed me to stay on the Acres; I have been enabled to love a tremendous "bunch" of "kids." Can't wait to experience the blessings of year 69.

Callings

Your calling is sacred. God needs witnesses in the political arena, in sales, in the business world, on Wall Street, in education, in professional sports, on the construction site, in our hospitals, in the military, in the art world--everywhere. He has placed you where He needs you.

Wrapping the Cross

When you wrap the cross in anything--and the most dangerous "wrap" may be nationalism--you greatly undermine the message of the cross. As I've said before the gospel is not "go into all the world and make Americans of everybody." Stop and think about that for awhile and it will make you shudder. And as I've also said before, the church--God's people--His royal priesthood--are scattered like seeds all over the world. And when God tells His Bride to remember the poor, the widows, the orphans among His people (for starters), it means wherever they are in His earth-wide body. Everywhere they are. If I'm not mistaken, the one offering mentioned in the New Testament was the one taken for the church in Jerusalem because they were in need because of a famine. Churches taking an offering for poor churches in need. Sounds like a plan to me.

Political power is the most ineffective power in the world when it come to producing a godly culture.

Radiate

The disciple humbly takes up his daily cross because he knows that the struggle of transformation and the fellowship of suffering enables him to radiate a life of grace: a life grounded in patience, a life visibly at peace--resting steadfastly in the promises of God, a life reflecting the joy of delighting in Him, a life that spontaneously loves the unlovely, a life that undeniably proclaims "He is all I need to satisfy my soul." And the saint who radiates grace lifts up the Source of grace, and if He is lifted up, He draws men to Himself.

"And we beheld His glory, full of grace and truth."

"And of His fulness we have all received grace upon grace."

Radiate. Make the invisible God of infinite, inexhaustible grace visible.

Self-deception

Pride is rooted in a lack of self-knowledge or a willing self-deception. It's motivation is self-interest. Often it is hidden in the subtlety of my criticism of others, a critical spirit--perhaps, the most insidious form of pride. In any manifestation, self--pride--is incompatible with the Spirit's purpose in our lives to transform us into the image of Christ. It is the devil's sin--and his weapon against our desire to draw near to God. When I humbly submit to the need I have on a daily basis for cleansing by the Word and for the purifying of my heart of self-love by a confessing--an agreement with God--about the sin in my life, He supplies the forgiving grace that I need to walk in fellowship with Him and other believers--to spend my day walking in the light. And it is such submission, cleansing, confession that resists the devil and sends him fleeing. There is no greater battle to be fought than the one I must fight each day between pride and humility. And the only way to fight the battle is with an honest admission that I need God's forgiving grace daily and that there is more abundant grace available than all my selfish sin. "Thanks be to God who gives the victory through Christ Jesus, our Lord."

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."

Today

"Today is the day of salvation."

"Give us this day our daily bread."

"Choose you this day whom you will serve."

"Take up your cross daily and follow me."

"Each day has enough trouble of its own."
"Call upon Me in the day of trouble. I shall rescue you, and you will honor me."

"So teach us to number our days that we may present to you a heart of wisdom."

This day is your life. Not yesterday--it's gone. Don't try to live there. Not tomorrow--it is not here, nor is it even promised. No, this day is your life. How will you spend it? Trusting in Him for the provision of this day; thankful for its abundant supply? Making choices that you know will serve His purposes in the kingdom? Embracing the cross He has lovingly given you to bear so that you might know Him more deeply who willingly suffered for you? Learning that He is willing and eager to help you bear it with an infusion of His cross-bearing joyful strength? In humility calling out to Him knowing that it honors His love to do so?

To not so "number your days" is to live a fool's life--to be a practical atheist denying by your festering in yesterdays heartaches and failures and in tomorrows worries and fears that He is Lord of Lord, King of Kings. and Lord and King of love. You are not an afterthought in His plans for today. You are His beloved child--the adored child of the perfect Father.

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Anything else is disobedience. And disobedience is a lack of love for Him. And the idolatry of self-worship.

This day is your life. Have you dedicated it to Him, surrendered it to His wisdom and love? Do you trust Him? Do you believe He is good with all your heart? Then, live it in such a way that all will know that this is your life, a gift from Him, and committed with thanksgiving to His will.