The Very Best Way

John in his first epistle to the churches reminds of a basic but vital truth. Every act of obedience is an act of love. And every act of love draws us closer to the Savior thus deepening our love for Him. And that growing love makes it "easier" to obey Him the next time. Which deepens our love for Him . . . and on and on into an every deepening intimacy. Never underestimate the power and necessity of obedience in even the smallest things. Never. And guess what happens if I choose to disobey? The cycle moves in the other direction. Lessening love, harder to obey, a loss of a sense of His presence in our lives. A cold heart.
What's that little chorus the children use to sing? "Obedience is the very best way to show . . . " The very best way.

Unity

Christian unity is not something that has to be manufactured. The Holy Spirit has made us one in Christ--one family, one body, one temple. Unity is something we must diligently work at in order to preserve it. And as Jesus told us, when God's people demonstrate their unity and love for one another, it declares to a watching world the undeniability of the love of God as demonstrated by His Son's loving sacrifice for sin on the cross. It draws people to the body--it evangelizes.

"Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" is a vital ongoing ministry of God's people. Diligent.

Reflections on Trust

"All these years I have followed Christ and found Him to be a good Master."
(Polycarp)
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 "When peace like a river attendeth my way"

"When sorrows like sea-billows roll"

These are not two separate experiences for the child of God--they reside in our hearts simultaneously.
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"Iron sharpens iron." At times your best friends will "rub you the wrong way."
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Ironic is it not, that we trust Him with taking care of us for eternity; yet, we doubt His promise to meet all our needs today? 

Vantage Points

We must remember that we see all things from the vantage point of the finite--this day, this hour, this moment, but He sees all things from the vantage point of the infinite. It is from that vantage point--the eternal throne--that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords promises that all things in our lives will be for His glory and the good of His people--not just us; all of His people. Rest in that promise: rejoice and do good.

Talents

There a few ideas in the parable of the talents that I, at times, need to remind myself of. First, that God gives the talents. I haven't earned nor have I merited the talents that He, in His sovereign love and wisdom, has decided to give me to "invest" in the kingdom work. (Neither have you). They are His gift to me. In addition, it is not that He needs the five talent guy or the two talent guy more than He needs the one talent guy. They are all three necessary--essential--in order for the kingdom to prosper to its fullest measure. Paul, in fact, tells us that the one talent servant--the least--is the most vital "clog" in the spiritual success of God's ministry on earth . (As always, we get a lot of things backward, don't we?) Also, God does not demand or expect the one talent servant to produce five talent results. He just expects that His servants use the talents He has given them to the best of their ability. And the talents are not for the exultation of the servant but for the completeness of the kingdom work. The talents God has given do not make anyone special--just accountable. And the accountability is the same for everyone--use them. What talents has the Master given you? Have you thanked Him? Have you put them to use in the furtherance of the kingdom? Do you give Him all the glory? Do you in humility recognize that your talents are dependent on His other servants using their talents for His glory? Are you then an encourager, an edifier, or do you see yourself as a competitor in the expansion of His work? Do you use your talents to draw attention to yourself--that's called idolatry? Do you covet someone else's talents in essence telling God that He doesn't know what He's doing when He assigns responsibilities? Coveting is idolatry, too, you know? Do you downplay the vital necessity of your talent being used effectively for His work? Each and every servant's work is essential.

Talents. Gifts. Strengths. Whatever you want to call them. God gives such to every servant. And every servant is expected to "invest" them wisely with all their strength and for His glory. Get busy. And don't become weary of doing well.

The reward? "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Reflections on Change

"The Word of God is living, and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing . . . and able to sift the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Do you want to see the Spirit change lives? Wield the sword of the Spirit. He will begin by using it to change your life. Allow the Spirit to make His Word a spontaneous focus of your every day conversations. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

"How will a young man purify his walk? By taking heed to the Word of God." 
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The first thing a nation denies on its way down to exulting in its depravity is that God is the Creator of all things. That frees them to worship the creature, and nothing is more frightening than when men worship themselves. 
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When I think I am strong enough to do what God has called me to do, failure is at the door. When I admit that I am too weak to do what He has called me to do, His grace becomes all the strength I need. And the glory is rightfully given to Him.
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 If after twenty years of persevering prayer, God answers the prayers you have for those you love, which of those years of prayer would have been wasted years? Which years would you regret? Persevere in prayer!!!! Day by day come before the throne of grace. He is able. He is willing. Admit that you are helpless and come before His throne that you may receive the gracious, merciful help of the omnipotent God of love..

Failures

Our God is unconditional love, infinite goodness, and abundant grace. Yet, our Savior lets His children fail. And it does not in any way diminish His love, goodness, or grace. In fact, in exalts it. It is through our failures and struggles that we discover the greatness of who He is. It is through our failures and struggles that we discover the depths of His love for us, the invincibility of His goodness, and the sufficiency of His grace. It is through our failures and struggles that He molds us into His image--purging the self that is the cause of our failures and replacing it with the servant-hood that is His calling for His maturing children. Failure is the path to victorious transformation, a deeper experiential understanding of His love, and a humility that sends me to my knees for the sufficient grace that makes my weakness His
strength.

Reflections from Psalms

Reflections from Psalms

The "tree firmly planted by streams of water" can withstand the drought.

"He who is enthroned in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them." When it looks like the wicked are winning, remember God's laughter.

"In the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch." Beginning the day in prayer fills the heart with anticipation for the goodness He will bring into your life--that day.

"The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord, His throne is in heaven." It is never hopeless. You have free access to the throne--the throne of mercy and grace.

"He rescued me because He delighted in me." As amazing as it may seem, you are important to the God of the universe.

Reliability

God calls believers to be reliable. And it does not matter where He has placed us. Wherever it is, He requires reliability. What is reliability? The person who is reliable can be counted on without question. Whatever he says is the truth. You can rely on his words to be followed up with the necessary actions when needed. The person who is reliable is not a respecter of persons. He treats everyone the same. Whatever needs to be done in the situation in order to please God is what gets done. The opinions or rationalizations of others, even his closest friends, are not important. Only God's perspective matters. The person who is reliable views all tasks the same. Be it kingship or slavery, he is the best king or the best slave that he can possibly be. The remarkable thing about the responsible believer is that he constantly faces temptations to sidetrack his integrity, but he knows that one moment of irresponsibility can affect the confidence of those around him in his ability to be God's faithful minister. And he knows that it is God's character that he has been entrusted with to defend and to demonstrate. God's work desperately needs reliable Christians. If other Christians, and the world, view us as being unreliable, untrustworthy, it is their confidence in God and His promises that will be called into question. What a tragedy that is! To live a life that puts a question mark at the end of "Jesus Never Fails."

Reflections

 If in your present circumstances you could somehow see where God's sovereign love was leading you, you wouldn't change a single thing.

Do you have a teachable spirit? What's your response to criticism? Prayerful consideration and self-examination or rationalization and self-defense? I'll ask again. Do you have a teachable spirit?

Nothing speaks more loudly than a soft answer.

God doesn't meet us on the other side of death. He takes our hand and walks with us through it. That's why for His child death is only a shadow and has no substance. 

Regeneration, justification, redemption, grace, mercy, adoption, propitiation, sanctification, the indwelling presence of the Spirit, an incorruptible inheritance, eternal life. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. "Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord!" 

"Later"

"Later" has a way of becoming "never." The men of Israel who believed the ten spies "Later has a way of becoming "never.." The men of Israel who believed the negative report of the ten spies who had returned from the Promised Land and had, consequently, rebelled against God's promises found that out. They "presumed to go up into the hill top" and take the Promised Land after God said they would be wandering in the wilderness for forty years. They decided that God's "It's too late" was not really true just as they had decided a few days before that God's "Now is the time" was not really true. They were guilty of those presumptuous sins the Psalmist prays that God will deliver him from. The enemy routed them.
Never presume upon the goodness or severity of God. When He says something, do it immediately. Many have hesitated and found it to be too late. Esau sought repentance with tears, but it was too late to get the blessing he had despised. For Ananias and Sapphira it was too late to serve God completely and honestly. For Noah's generation it was too late to return to their Creator and to worship Him. For Judas, too late. Lot's wife--too late. Sodom and Gomorrah--too late. Gehazi--too late. The rich man and his barns--too late. A generation of Israelites--too late. Obey God now when the call comes for obedience. Obeying God later may be later than you think. Beware. Satan always has some reasonable alternative to ready obedience, the result of which is heartache and failure. When the Spirit of God reveals to you a step of obedience, do not presume upon the patience of God. Act now.
"Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins and let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression."

Crisis Moments

Failure. Disappointment. Loss. Suffering.

The trials of life always seem to bring us to a crisis. For some, it's a time of drawing nearer to the Savior, a deepening of the relationship, a strengthening of the soul. For others, it's a time of turning away, of anger, of denial. Why the difference?

Blinded by self-love some "lose" their understanding of the cross. That God the Father would send His Son willingly and purposefully to die for wretched sinners is indisputable proof that God is love. That God the Son would willingly leave Heaven's glory and willingly offer Himself up on the cross for our sins is indisputable proof that God is love. That God the Spirit would woo totally unworthy, helpless sinners to believing faith in the love of the Father and the sacrifice of the Son is undeniable proof that God is love. And yet, when suffering comes,some convince themselves that the immutable God has suddenly changed and no longer loves them or certainly doesn't love them as much as He is obligated to do. Love you more than the cross? God is love. It is not that He sometimes loves and sometimes doesn't. He always acts in love.Nothing that comes into our lives has not first passed the test of His love for us. Ask all the great men of faith: Job, Abraham, Joseph, the prophets, John the Baptist, Paul, the other Apostles. Suffering is not proof that God doesn't love us, but that He does. And can our suffering compare to His? The physical agony of the torture of the Crucifixion? The emotional trauma of weeping over His beloved Jerusalem, the agonizing prayer in the garden, the betrayal, the desertion by His closest friends, the people of the "apple of His eye" so quickly turning from shouts of "Hosanna" to vicious shouts of "Crucify Him"? And the unfathomable spiritual suffering of "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" Every bit of that suffering was because He loved you. How can anything that comes into our lives cause us to doubt that God is love? The only answer can be that we have no sense of our own sin, of our own depravity--and in light of who we are, His great love.
And sometimes, I believe, that we falter because we are unprepared. No one who is not saturating himself in the Word of God is ready for the inevitable storms of life. To not daily put on the whole armor of God is to go into the daily battle prepared to fail, conditioned to doubt the Captain's wisdom. What soldier can endure hardship if he is not fully arrayed in the Spirit's power and trained in the effective wielding of the Sword. Shieldless, he is helpless against the arrows of the Accuser. Swordless, he is incapable of resisting the onslaught of the Enemy. And then to blame the Captain, to doubt His wisdom.
Struggling with suffering in your life? Plead with the Spirit to renew a right spirit within you. Plead with the Spirit to open your eyes and to refocus your spiritual sight on your first love--the wondrous cross where your loving Savior offered Himself up for you. Died in your place. "O, what love that He should die for you!"
Struggling with suffering in your life? Are you going into battle without your armor, without the might and power of the Spirit to enable you to stand victorious in the fiercest heat of the spiritual warfare? Saturate yourself in the Word. Each day; because it's a daily battle.

"Near the cross! O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me; help me walk from day to day, with its shadow o'er me. Near the cross! Near the cross!"

"Conquering now and still to conquer, rideth a King in His might, leading the host of all the faithful into the midst of the fight; see them with courage advancing, clad in their brilliant array, shouting the name of their Leader, hear them exultingly say: 'Not to the strong is the battle, not to the swift is the race, yet to the true and the faithful victory is promised through grace.' "

"Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil . . . having done everything to stand firm."

Patience

Patience enables one to endure "until the coming of the Lord." Patience has faith in the future.
Patience makes the disciple a confident spiritual farmer. The seeds having been planted, he waits patiently for the Lord of the Harvest--the controller of the early and late rains--to produce the fruit--forty, sixty, a hundred fold--that will glorify His name.
Patience strengthens the heart. Love grows as the eager anticipation of His soon return gives rest to the soul.
Patience makes a disciple eager to forgive. He knows that the Judge, and only the Judge, can make all things right. And He is standing at the door. All things--all cares--can be left in His loving, wise hands.
Patience knows that suffering identifies one with the Savior--and with those, like the prophets--who shared the truth and left the outcome in the hands of the Sovereign Lord whose Word always accomplishes His purposes.
Patience enables the disciple to submit to the refining fire--to Job-like--trust in "the Lord who is full of compassion and is merciful."
Patience builds within the disciple a deep desire for integrity. A desire to be a man of his word, a man who relies on his Savior to work all things for the good of those who love HIm.
Patience makes a disciple a man of prayer and praise. He knows that the God who only gives good gifts will provide out of the riches of glory. And His provision will always be right on time. And more than he could ask or imagine.

'"And you have need of patience"

Discipleship

The extraordinary disciple is the man or woman who in the routine of every day life leaves--as simply and as unobtrusively as possible--a sense of God's presence wherever they go.
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The Holy Spirit is my prayer partner.
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The relationship God wants with us is the intimate, until death do us part, pure, faithful, committed relationship of the bride to her Bridegroom. Rich or poor. In sickness or health. I will be totally faithful to You. I will honor and obey You in all things. Wherever You take me. Until death brings me face-to-face with You--the Eternal Always Faithful Lover of my soul.. 
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Jesus wondered out loud: "Will I find any faith when I return?"

Micah was told to go and search for the faithful. He couldn't find even one.

Our response to Jesus' question should be the same as Micah's when his search came up empty. ::"By God's grace and power, I'll be the one."

If we'll all pray that prayer . . . 

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Love is an action verb. 

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 Jesus stood looking down on Jerusalem and wept for them. And then He went and died for them. How do you and I respond to our enemies?

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 No matter the depth of my knowledge, without obedience, I am a fool.

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Is there any greater joy than to have someone forgive you? Then, why are we so reluctant to ask for it? Can anyone say "pride"?

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The inevitable outcome of discontent is greed.

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How quick I am to blame God for the consequences of my own stupid decisions.

Discernment

The game of Chinese Checkers has nothing to do with China or checkers. Its rules do correspond, to some degree, with the rules for the game of checkers, but the game uses marbles instead of checkers. In fact, Chinese Checkers actually originated in England and was called Halma, from the Greek word meaning "leap."
The board itself is shaped like a hexagram. It has six colored triangles adjacent to a hexagon. Even the lines within these geometric figures form triangles. The board itself is geometric masterpiece. (And you thought you hated geometry.) Anyway, the next time you want to play Chinese Checkers, ask a friend if he wants to play the game that requires him to move spheres from one triangle to another triangle by jumping the spheres across a hexagon--you know, the English game that is named after the Greek word and is supposed to be Chinese.
As Christians we need to be aware that everything or everyone is not what it claims to be. For example, someone has said that Christian Science is like Grapenuts--It is neither grape nor nuts. Christian or science. The Apostle John tells us to "try the spirits," or "test your teachers." No matter who proclaims that certain matters are taught in the Bible, the Christian must "search the Scriptures'" himself to see whether those things are so. God has given believers the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth. Remember that Luke praised the people of Berea for checking what the Apostle Paul said against the Scriptures. If the Apostle Paul needed checking up on, do you know of any teachers whose message doesn't require the same diligent examination? To base your beliefs on a secondhand relationship to the Word of God is to play into the hands of the many false prophets who have "gone out into the world." They are neither grapes not nuts. Chinese nor checkers. They falsely claim to know the truth and are consequently dangerous to the child of God. They will, of course, be held accountable for their deception. And you will be held accountable for allowing yourself to be deceived.
Test those teacher--every one of them. Particularly the ones you trust the most.

Pursuits

Jesus taught that mammon--the pursuit of material prosperity--was the opposite of pursuing God. He also reflected on how difficult it is for a wealthy man to come to redemption--and gave us an example--the rich young ruler. He also told of the rich man who daily ignored the needs of Lazarus and had no time for Moses and the prophets--and ended up in Hades. And He told the parable of the rich farmer who built bigger barns so that he could live a life of selfish indulgence and pleasure; and yet, found instead that his life was over, and that he was a fool to have relied on his riches for security. The fool--remember--is the one who has no room for faith in God in his heart. Even though he may go to church every week.

Paul tells us that the only man who is actually rich is the man living in the fear of the Lord and content with what God has given him. To be other minded was to pierce one's heart with many sorrowful arrows. And he couldn't list all the evils that a man opens himself up to by falling in love with money--whether he had any or not.

The people of Israel, though warned by God to not trust in the prosperity He graciously gave them but to remain committed to trusting solely in Him, nevertheless; in times of prosperity turned from God--and we know the end of that story. In fact, God described their living a life of ease and pleasure while neglecting the needy as a sure sign that they were just like Sodom and Gomorrah. Worse.

Is then "The American Dream" really godliness? Is America's prosperity a sign of God's blessing or the wiles of the Devil turning a nation away from the pursuit of and reliance on God? And even more importantly, what are you and I pursuing? If I could ask God for only one thing would it be financial security? And what are we telling our children is the treasure they should pursue? And they will watch our lives more avidly than they will listen to our words.

No man can serve two masters. It is despising God to pursue the wrong one.

Abraham's Faith

Remember Abraham's great faith was a Home-centered, Heaven-centered faith. "For he looked for a city with foundations whose architect and builder was God." Because his "eyes" of faith where always on the unshakeable, permanent, promise of eternity he could faithfully obey when called to forsake all and go where God sent him never having been there before. Because of a heart for Heaven, he could live unwaveringly as an alien in the temporary tents of this world. Because of his faith in the sure hope of the Heavenly City, he could be an example of faithfulness to his son and grandson--heirs of the same promise. What did Jesus tell the disciples as they sat around the table at that Last Supper? "You must not let yourself be distressed--you must hold on to your faith in God and to your faith in me. There are many rooms in My Father's house. If there were not, should I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? It is true that I am going to prepare a place for you, but it is just as true that I am coming again to welcome you into my own home, so that you may be where I am." The faith that enables victorious living on earth is always resting in--focused on--the promise of the eternal heavenly city where He waits to welcome us Home.

Warning

The Bible warns those that make the pursuit of wealth their goal. Such a pursuit causes a man to embrace dishonesty, to be lacking in compassion, to become enslaved to the insatiable need for luxury and pleasure. And their inheritance? Misery. Rotten riches. Moth-eaten garments. Gold and silver that rusts. A day of eternal accountability when all their riches won't matter one cent. And the enmity of the Lord of hosts who loves justice and integrity and a tender heart toward the poor (the Lord of hosts, by the way, is God's name when He goes to battle). If you're goal in life is to accumulate all the earthly treasures that you can for your own pleasure, then you need to be able to answer these questions:

1. Do you enjoy being miserable?
2. Is a rotten life a thing to aspire to?
3. What's the advantage to feeding moths?
4. How much sense does it make to put your trust, to rest your eternal security, on the value of rust?
5. Do you think that on judgment day--and that day is inevitable--that God will be impressed with your earthly riches? Do you think God can be bribed?
6. Do you know what they put on the tombstone of all those who go to war with the Lord of hosts? (Loser.)

Don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. And if God chooses to give you earthly wealth? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Do good, be rich in good deeds, be generous, eager to share, invest in heavenly treasures so that you can experience right now and forever that which is life indeed.

"Fix your hope, not on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy."

Reflections

Paul tells us that we are to be reflectors of God's glory--of His presence in our lives. Like Moses when he came down from the mountain, our faces should glow with the glory of God. Moses had to hide his face; we are told to shine. How do we do that? The answer is simple, obvious; we spend time in His presence. We look steadfastly into the Word of God that reveals the majesty of His presence. We "turn our eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face." We spend times talking to Him--all day long. I think that at times we spend so much time telling people how to apply the truth without ever letting them see the truth in person--in our walk. If they could just catch a glimpse of Him, just understand more deeply His great love, just for a moment gaze at His holiness, their lives would be changed. And, even more remarkable, the lives of those around them would be impacted as well. Because, as Paul says, when we concentrate--when the focus of our lives are on Him and His glory, then His presence in our lives shines forth for everyone to see. No one will be able to miss it. Perhaps we're--I'm--too involved with wanting people to notice me. Perhaps I'm too busy not spending time with Him.

When you walk into a room, do people know that you have been with Jesus?

Have you?