Prayer List for 2018

This time of year--as those of you know who keep putting up with me on Facebook--I, instead of doing New Year's Resolutions--put together a New Year's Prayer List. Here is my prayer list for 2018:


1. Lord, give me the confidence to trust that You are working in the hearts of those I know and love--whether I can see You working or not.
2. Lord, may I never have a day when I fail to see Your beauty as I walk The Acres.
3. Lord, may our poltiical leaders understand that what ...You require of them is "to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly before their God."
4. Lord, fill my heart with gratitude each and every moment.
5. Lord, may those of us who have suffered loss in 2017 be overwhelmed with a sense of Your presence and the depth of Your comfort. And may we pass it on.
6. Lord, help me to never confuse my needs with my "I wants."
7. Lord, give me the courage to be a sower, a waterer, or a reaper in every opportunity You bring before me.
8. Lord, may I be a man of intercessory prayer.
9. Lord, may I not grow "weary in well-doing," but lean totally on the strength You promise for each day.
10. Lord, enable me to grow richer in Your Word--the sword the Spirit wields to sanctify Your children.
11. Lord, help me to not become a stumbling block in the lives of those to whom You have sent me to minister. May I love them where You have them and intercede on their behalf that they might grow in grace and the knowlege of You--at Your pace.
12. Lord, help me to be unashamed to be a saint, a set apart one, a holy one--show me the futility and cowardice of the baskets I too often try to use to cover up the light of Your presence in my heart.
13. Lord, help me to daily be Christ-in-the-room to each of my students. More of You; less of me.
14. Lord, may I daily remember that I am called to be a teacher, not a grader--even when I have to give them a grade.
15. Lord, in every situation fill me with the peace that passes comprehension--keep a song in my heart.

The Teacher of Israel

He came in the darkness. "The teacher of Israel" according to Jesus. Most believe that he came at night because he was afraid of what the other Jewish leaders would think. Perhaps. But he came. Seeking, And he had no doubts. "Rabbi, no man can do the things you do unless God is with him." And he didn't just come seeking answers for himself. He did say, did he not, "We know." "We."
Jesus didn't even give him time to start asking questions. He just, in what? ten or f...ifteen minutes, gave him a complete course in theology. "You must be born again of the Spirit." "Like the serpent in the wilderness, the Son of Man must be lifted up that all who believe in Him might have eternal life." "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son." "I am God's only begotten Son." "I didn't come to condemn the world. The men in it--lovers of darkness, of evil--already stand condemned. I've come to be their Savior. To lead them out of the darkness and into the light of obedience to Him."
And Nicodemus left with a question on his heart: "How can these things be?"
We meet him later, gathered with the other Pharisees. The temple guards who had been sent to arrest Jesus came back empty-handed. "No man speaks like this man." I can see the "yes!" on Nicodemus' face. "No man speaks like this man." And then the Pharisees chastised the guards: "You don't see any of us believing in Him, do you?" And Nicodemus spoke up--a turning point, I believe in his thought process--"How can you pass judgment on a man if you've never talked to Him, never met Him face-to-face to find out what His purpose is--why He does the things He does.?" From "none" to "one" I believe.
And so, we meet him again at the foot of the cross--he and his friend Joseph--fearlessly taking down Jesus body and gently preparing it for burial. They had nothing to gain and everything to lose. But they came--in the daylight. In front of everyone. And I know exactly what was going through Nicodemus mind as he reached up to lower the body of Jesus. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that those who believe in Him might have eternal life."
We don't hear of Nicodemus or Joseph again in Scripture. I expect to talk to them one day--to share our faith journey. But this I know. If in the first century you had run into Nicodemus on the streets of Jerusalem, this is what he would have told you: "You must be born again by the Spirit of God. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. He--no one ever spoke like this Man--was the only begotten Son of God--the Savior. Escape your love for the darkness. Come into His Kingdom of Light. He was lifted up for you. He lives today for you. Look on Him and believe. You must be born again."

Gifts

Simple things to give:


A smile.
A Thank you.
A "How are you today?" (And wait for the answer.)...
A prayer of intercession.
A letter--a note. (Even a text)

Priceless gifts.

Prayer Reminds

Prayer is a reminder that God knows us. It is a reminder that the desire for the will of God is preeminent over our desires and even the desires and needs of others. Powerful, effective prayer begins with "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Prayers that deepen our love for Him are focused on the needs of our neighbors even over our own needs. Prayers that deepen our joy are prayers of thanksgiving to the God who is love and always acts in love for those we int...ercede for and for ourselves. Prayer: we are known by God. Prayer: to deepen our love for God. Prayer: to deepen our love for those around me, for the people living in a fallen world, for His creation. Prayer: to deepen my joy because the God who knows me and loves me is the God who will answer my prayers according to His perfect will--and for my eternal, everflasting good.
To pray without ceasing is to spend my day in His presence before the throne of grace and mercy confident that all will be well.

Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts: Ricochets

. . .

Grace multiplies.

I wonder where Jesus would wield his whip in today's church? Where are the "dens of thiefs"?

...

"You can get all A's and still flunk life." (Percy)


I wonder how the disciples felt when after ministering to the Samaritan women and her friends, Jesus had them stay there for two more days.


In the school setting excellence is not measured by just academics but by character.


People today are not just looking out for number one; they don't believe there is anyone who qualifies as a number two.


I would like to see the look on Peter's face when his brother Andrew walked up and said, "We've found the Messiah."


Is my church a place where if someone said what's this following Jesus thing all about, I could say, "Come and see"?


Do those who believe that there is no "right," believe as well that there is no "wrong"? What kind of society would that produce?


What makes something idealism? A refusal to put the idea into practice?


How much would people give to the church--or any charity--if it wasn't a tax deduction?

Revival

What would revival look like?


A people who embrace responsibilities not rights.
A people who do not act out of the fear that since everyone is just like them they had best "get" the other person first.
A people that respond in love to the desperate--not in contempt....
A people who believe that the reality rests on the invisible, on the spiritual--and live that way.
A people who know that before matter ever existed the God who is spirit existed. They are accountable to the One who spoke all things into existence.
A people who are eager to give to those in need rather than scratch stuff off their "I want" list.
A people who embrace the truth that everyone is their neighbor--and then love their neighbor as God loves them.
A people who embrace their sorrow by reaching out to others in their sorrow rather than wallowing in their victimhood and self-pity.
A people who understand that political power is the weakest power on earth when it comes to settling a nation's problems. The strongest power is activated on one's knees.
A people who do not see how much money they make as the basis for their self-esteem.
A people who are willing to put their needs below the needs of others--who love unconditonally and so embrace the truth that they will be taken advantage of.
A people who humbly cry out to God that if no one else will follow Him, they will--even if the "they" is just one.

Reflections for November 2017

Jesus identified Himself as "a man of sorrows and a friend of grief." Because of that, He was the greatest Lover who ever lived. He was always sensitive to the pain and struggles of every person He encountered. Embrace your grief with the prayer that He will give you a heart of love as sensitive and caring as His.
________


The greatest danger in trying to win the approval of men is that you can.
__________


"We and the world, my children, will always be at war.  Retreat is impossible.  Arm yourselves.  (Enger)
__________


Jesus is a very present help in time of trouble.  Underneath are the Everlasting Arms.  Pray that we will be leaning on Jesus.
__________


He does not disappoint.
__________


God's greatest gift to His child is a broken heart.
__________


Help us Lord to love more deeply.
__________


Less of me; more of Him.
__________


One day the God who supplied you with the strength that you needed to do His will in the place and time that He placed you--one day He will bend down and whisper in your ear, "Thank you."  Amazing grace.

Quenched

When the Spirit quits reminding us of something He has been encouraging us to do--or to stop doing, when we have reached the point in our stubborn rebellion that we have quenched His fire, silenced His voice, we are on dangerous ground. Hammer time. Yes, it is the hammer of restoration, but it is also the hammer of discipline. He loves His children too deeply to let them live lives of disobedience. When He stops speaking and prodding, it's not that He's given up on transforming you, it's just that you have forced His love to "come up" with a different solution. Affliction. Confess and repent now. The storm is coming, and your house isn't ready.

Same Choice

All believers are commanded to submit to all other believers--to be the pillar of strength they need to become all that God intends for them to be. Is a believer you know struggling to be faithful? Maybe what they need is a pillar--for you to come along side them and strenghten them in the power of the Spirit. Edify. Be the pillar that builds up the struggling saint. Love and submission are not two different choices; they are the same choice.

Song

One of the ministeries of the Holy Spirit that we often overlook is the gift He gives us of a singing heart. One of the benefits of being filled with the Spirit or enriched with the Word (same thing) is a song in your heart: "speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;" What an amazing gift! As we gather together in church the blessings flow--to our hearts, to the hearts of others, and to the heart ...of our Savior. Often, at the darkest moments in my life, He has put a song in my heart to strengthen me for the day. As I travel back and forth to school, I find a song flowing through my heart and mind. The Spirit is such a lover of song that He even lets me sing in my own voice! He is the Great Encourager; He "preaches" to my inner being with a song, a melody to remind me of His great love. And the Bible is full of wonderful instances of song from creation to the throne in Revelation. Psalms is the longest book in the Bible!! Thank You Spirit for a singing heart--and for putting up with, even encouraging a joyful noise.

I have listed these before but here--again--are my favorite songs from the Bible. I suppose I'll have to put them on vinyl too or Wes will disown me--and I cannot survive teaching without Wes to bail me out!


The CD


This is the CD I hope to own one day:


1. The Morning Stars singing together at the creation of the world. What were they singing? Genesis One, of course. "And God saw that it was good."
2. Jesus and the disciples singing as they left The Upper Room and then walked to the Garden of Gethsemane.
3. Habakkuk on his stringed instruments singing his marvelous testimony "Yet, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation"
4. David singing the Twenty-third Psalm at night, under the stars, to still the fears of the sheep.
5. The Jewish multitude singing together the Psalms of Ascent as they marched up to Jerusalem for the Feast.
6. Moses and the impromptu choir singing on the other side of the Red Sea. Think their voices might have been full of awe and joy? So much joy that it reached Miriam's feet.
7. Paul and Silas--the duet. I wonder which one was the tenor? Or maybe they both just sang the melody. Brought down the "house."
8. The angels on Christmas morning--"Glory to God in the highest!" Indeed!
9. Mary singing to her Son--the baby who was the Creator and the Savior. You don't really believe she didn't sing to Him, do you? Might that be Joseph we hear humming in the background?
10. The original Oratorio of the Messiah.being sung this very moment in the throne room of our God. I hope to, sooner rather than later, join that choir. "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.to receive honor, and dominion, and glory, and power forever and ever. Amen!"

No Rest

One of the ways God judges a nation or an individual is to take away their rest. He turns them over to a constant, insatiable desire for more--more stuff, more time, more approval from men--more, more, more. You end up with a culture and a people of neurotics--always unhappy, always discontent, always wondering what is missing that they need to find in order to make their lives meaningful.

Jesus Christ is all you need. Rest in His love.

The Will of God

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."


I am thankful that He is the Resurrection and the Life and that those who believe in Him will never die. Never.
I am thankful that the Creator God of the universe--the God of omnipotent strength--promises to uphold me with all the strength that I will need for each day--for this day.
I am thankful for the Hope that rests on the eternal promise of the God who... cannot lie.
I am thankful for the rainbow of promise in the midst of the storm, the spring of new life and new growth that follows every winter, and the joy that comes in the morning.
I am thankful for a community that is devoted to prayer today and every day--continually.
I am thankful for a community that loves not just in word but in action.
I am thankful for His joy in my heart in the midst of sorrow.
I am thankful for tears and laughter.
I am thankful that His answer to the question "Why" is always the same, "This has happened because I love you and because in these times and in this place I am going to use you to glorify Me--to make me visible to those around you." And I testify that I have been immersed in His love and seen His presence in these times and in this place.
I am thankful that each moment we are closer to the reunion between the living and those who are now in His presence--"So shall we ever be with the Lord." "Even so, come Lord Jesus."

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."

Anger

As improbable as it may seem, during times of deep sorrow and of grief, there is a feeling, an emotion, that may subtley and insidiously worm its way into our thinking--into our heart.
                                                                  Anger.
We are especially vulnerable when the catalyst for our mourning is a choice made by someone that we deeply love, a choice that not only broke our heart, but the hearts of those we love just as deeply as the one who made the choice. Our tendency is to try to deny that fact that we are angry, to pretend that it's not really in our thoughts, lurking in our grief.
Yes, sometimes it is rooted in self-pity. "How could they hurt me so?" Sometimes it is rooted in a genuine sorrow over the brokenness evident in the lives of those around us. "Look how their decision has crushed the hearts of those I love--of those who loved them." Sometimes it crops up in the immediate; sometimes it crops up in the near future; sometimes it crops up in some distant future. We are surprised--ambushed--by its sudden presence in our hearts. We need to be alert to its danger; we cannot let it fester and destroy our ability to love others; we cannot let it change our focus from others to ourselves.
The enemy--the Destroyer--delights in planting the seed of bitterness in the soil of anger. And the tree of bitterness when it is fully grown and established in our heart is spiritually deadly. Its fruit ripens into a deep self-pity, a tearful self-pity. It ripens into a cold-hearted, loveless spirit that cannot love others, that prevents us from being the comforter God intends for us to be--calls us to be. It even ripens into an anger directed at God and suppresses even the desire to repent. We can no longer discern His heart of love for others in times of sorrow. The only heart that matters becomes our own heart.
Such angry thoughts must be eradicated--as many times as necessary--every time they creep into our thinking. And how do we do that? Through a prayerful, humble, expressed forgiveness rooted in the confession that we too have in our past made choices that hurt those that we love and that grieved the heart of the Spirit who lives within us. We have betrayed the love of others. We have needed forgiveness. Thus, it must be a prayer of gratitude, of celebration as well; for every time that we have done that--every time we have hurt others--He has fully forgiven us. Gladly. When we have grieved the hearts of others, of those who love us, of the One who abides within us, we have been forgiven. We are forgiven. (Oh, if we could just sense in some small way the groaning of the brokenhearted Spirit within us when we inflicted pain on others--on Him--by our hurtful choices!) And without such forgiveness we cannot celebrate our love for that person who is the cause of our pain and for those we--and they--loved. We cannot celebrate the mutual love we have for one another.
Be alert. Be vigilant. If the Advesary is seeking to destroy your ability to love, to plant the seed of anger in your heart, plead for the power of the Spirit to enable you to humbly, lovingly, forgive--and to rejoice in His continual, unconditional forgiveness of you. There is no heart more useless to the cause of Christ than a soul wallowing in a lack of forgiveness, festering in an angry bitterness.
Embrace a sorrow rooted in love. Emrace a sorrow rooted in a forgiving spirit, Embrace a sorrow that produces in you a focus on His heart and the sorrowful hearts of those that He has placed into your life to be your comfort as you in His power comfort them. "Let the beauty of Jesus--the beauty of the God of forgiveness, the beauty of the God of All Comfort be seen in our lives. "Do not let the sun go down on your anger."

Reflections for October 2017

It's not about having friends; it is about being a friend.
It's not about being loved; it is about loving others.


You have a Faithful Friend who loves you unconditionally and has named you as His friend.

Pass it on!
______________


"Nevertheless, Thy will be done."
_______________


"The greatest terror a child can have is that he is unloved."  (Steinbeck)
_______________


He is the Artist of the "Big Picture."  He is also the Artist of the small details.  Look for His hand at work in everything.
_______________


It's not about you.  Ever.
It's about Him.  Always.
________________


"You can have all this world, but give me Jesus."
________________


"Nothing in my hands I bring; only to Your cross I cling."
_______________


We are to be grace-givers--gracious. Yes, some will abuse the grace. That is not an excuse to stop giving grace. How much grace would God lavish on your life day by day, if He only was gracious when you deserved it? Not deserving it is what makes it grace.
_______________


The 'secret" to a life of joy--so much joy that you can't express it with words, but can live it every moment of every day whatever the circumstances. Love. Believe. Greatly rejoice..


"And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory."

A Poem

This is a poem my mother kept in her Bible:


God broke our years into hours and days,
That hour by hour, and day by day,
Just going on a little way,...
We might be able, all along
To keep quite strong.

Should all the weight of life be laid
Across our shoulders at just one place,
And the future, rife with woe and struggle,
Meet us face to face:
We could not go;
Our feet would stop, and so
God lays a little on us every day.


And never, I believe, in all life's way,
Will burdens bear so deep,
Or pathways lie so steep,
But we can go, if, by God's power,
We only bear the burden of the hour.

True Freedom

"Freedom" that is not rooted in God's moral law produces a bondage to sin and self. Those who believe in such a "freedom" will do everything they can to oppress and vilify those who believe in true freedom--a freedom that always acts within the bounds of God's righteous commands. Only the truth can set a man truly free. "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy Word is Truth." "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Self-made Religion

In Him:
The power of the flesh has been broken.
Your old life has been put to death, and you have been indwelt by the Spirit in all His power.
You have been made spiritually alive.
All your transgressions have been forgiven....
He has nailed your sin debt to His cross--paid in full.
He has defeated the enemy--we are victorious through Him.

How should we respond to such love and power and grace? Don't be enslaved by a series of man-made rules foisted on you as a measurement for spirituality--as a way to please Him. They make you a victim of a deceit that will make it impossible for you to please Him, impossible for you to grow spiritually. Such things are idolatry--self-worship, a destructive fallacy of self-made religion. It grieves the Spirit of God who lives within you as the only Power that can transform you into His image. God gives growth. God alone. Don't live as an orphan but as a child.

Drops in a Bucket

Drops in a bucket. That's what our God calls the nations of this world.

"All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless."


They can rattle their sabers, boast, and scheme all they want. "He who sits enthroned in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them."
...

"But the word of our God stands forever."


"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want."


"Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom"


Fear not. Rest in your Shepherd's arms. He is the God of omnipotent strength and omnipotent love.


 "What is man that I should fear him?

Pray

Prayers needed for a beautiful little five-month old boy--Judah Walton. He will be having heart surgery tomorrow. Pray for the surgeons. I can't imagine the level of expertise, knowledge, and confidence it takes to operate on the tiniest of hearts. I also know that all that expetise and knowledge needs God's hands to bless and guide those surgeon's hands.
And pray for mom and dad--Amy and Joel. The emotions they are dealing with some of us know and all of us can imagine ...in some small way. But remember the promise: "Be anxious for nothing, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses human understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Pray that God will be their strong tower, will garrison their hearts with His presence and His incomprehensible peace.
And remember to pray that most difficult of prayers, the prayer of trust and submission to His love and wisdom. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven."
Pray for the surgeons. Innundate the throne room of grace and mercy with the names Judah, Amy, and Joel. He knows exactly who they are.

Please pray.

To Know Him

The nation of Israel claimed that they "knew" God--right up until the time they were destroyed by the Assyrians and scattered among the nations. (A fitting judgment since they wanted to be just like all the nations.) God, however, kept telling them that they didn't know Him at all--even that they had forgotten Him. God's explanation was simple: "If you actually knew Me, you would be doing good--obeying my commandments, living righteously, helping the poor and oppressed, t...earing down your idols, worshiping Me from your heart, not just performing the rituals. So many today claim to know Him, but their lives say they are deceived. To know Him is to love Him and to love Him is to live lives of obedience to His Word. The Israelites didn't know Him at all. Their lives showed them to be liars. And is there any lie more dangerous than self-deception?

Uh-oh

"Beloved, let us love one another--except, of course, for those arrogant, obnoxious Christians who irritate me to death every time they open their mouths. What it doesn't say that? Hm. Oh.


"Beloved, let us love one another--except, of course, for those Christians from other denominations--or from one of those non-denominational things. Not that either? Hm. Oh.


"Beloved, let us love one another--except, of course, those who have different political stands than I do, vote ...for the wrong candidates, and . . . Huh? It doesn't say that either! Hm. Oh.

"Beloved, let us love one another--except for those Christians who disagree with me on music, baptism, what Bible to use, and, oh yeah, eschatology. Come on. Not even that?!!


Well, then, what does it say?


"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."


Hm. Uh-oh.

Poisoned

A Poisoned Culture--and the poison is self-administered:


Believes that their prosperity is self-made. The "richer" they become, the more they worship their riches.
Have no respect for those in authority.
Are Covenant breakers--their word is worthless....
Cherish warped priorities--material more important than the spiritual.
Glory in their shame.
Would rather die than live a life of obedience to God

These are not occasional bad choices that they make; it's a lifestyle.


What can we do? Sow rigtheousness. Sow loyalty. Sow kindness. Sow justice. Only God's harvest can suppress the poison weeds.

Reflections for September 2017

A nation's prosperity--materially or even militarily--is not evidence that that nation is being faithful to God. It's easy to tell. When the nation gives credit to themselves for their prosperity--worships their wealth and their might instead of giving thanks to God who gave them both, they are idolatrous. And that god can't help them when the crisis comes. And it will.
_______________


If we didn't love the people who did stupid things and disappointed us at times, we wouldn't have anyone we could love.


And, certainly, there would be no one to love us.
_______________


Creation's groaning has as its source the sin of man.  Still.
_______________


God's discipline is undeniable evidence that He is eagerly waiting to draw us back into His embrace.  Discipline and restoration are synonyms in God's dictionary.
_______________


Sometimes God lets us discipline ourselves.  It's called reaping and sowing.  Why do we blame God for the harvest when we arrogantly planted the seeds?
_______________


God wants a Husband-Wife relationship with His people--not a Master-Slave relationship.  Love obeys. Duty grows weary.  And quits.
______________


God can turn The Valley of Sorrow into the Door of Hope.
_______________




We serve the Living God--not a living God, the Living God. Eternal. Everlasting. Able to comfort, help, love, touch our lives with a sense of His presence. To be separated from Him--to have to relationship with Him--is to be dead. To have no life. To be the real walking dead. "We serve a living Savior, He's in the world today. I know that He is living." "Because He lives, we will live also." Eternally.
_______________


Wanderers:  "The way of the cross leads Home."
_______________


One of the reasons "old" saints have such joy is that they are amazed how deeply He must love them to have put up with them for so long.  Oh, and they have discovered through The University of Time that Jesus never fails.
______________


At one point in history Babylon was the greatest power in the world.  Invincible.  They magnified themselves above God.  He took them down in one day.  One day.
_______________


Renewal comes in the quiet times with Him. "Weary in well doing"? Go into His presence--alone. Let the sureness of His presence and the whispers of His love revive your strength. In the quietness, He speaks the "loudest" to your heart and soul.
_______________


Effective prayer begins and ends with praise for your Father's love, wisdom, and power.  Only He can answer your prayers.  And He only does good--with every answer.
_______________


No one can be filled with--under the control of--the Spirit who has not filled his heart and mind with His Sword--the Word of God.  And it must be done day by day.
_______________


Jesus loves me this I know.

Difficult things

Yes, God may ask us to do difficult things. Obedience is not easy. Sometimes God puts us through difficult experiences so that we will have a deeper understanding of the way He sees people and things. He does this in order to develop in us a heart like His heart. And can there be a more powerful transformation in our lives then to learn to love as He loves--righteously, justly, loyally, compassionately, and faithfully?

Gray Hairs

The lost of spiritual power is never instantaneous--it's gradual. Hosea says it's like one's hair turning gray--strand by strand; almost imperceptible. Where does it begin? The decline starts when I convince myself that God is indifferent to my sin--that a holy God is unconcerned with my sin. Such thinking makes a mockery of grace. Grace is the catalyst for holiness, for righteous living. It is never an excuse for sin. To think otherwise is to demean the price our Savior paid on the cross to lavish us with His grace. The cure? Confession. Any day without the prayers of confession is a day when I start to turn spiritually gray.

Whispers

Some people--many there are who find it--are walking the wide path--the broad avenue--that leads to eternal destruction. Pride is the bounce in their steps. Evidence by their many falls. Walking in the midst of the crowd, they imagine that they are different from everyone else. Whatever god they are following it looks an awful lot like the face they see in the mirror each morning. Never satisfied, joyless, hoping the path leads somewhere, they walk along. And it does--it ...leads to the place of eternal separation from God. To an eternity alone.
Some Christians are walking the path of thorns. They have turned away from obedience. They are striving to find satisfaction in the crowd--in the emptiness of the world. Trying to fill up on the slop of the pig pen. They and the world are not headed in the same direction; yet, they wonder why they can never fit in. Sadly, they, too often, drag those they love down the thorny path as well. Is that not the greatest peril of the life of the foolish disciple--when the house falls down, those they claim to love are inside taking shelter from the storm. Restless, trying to make a home of the place that is not their home, pierced through with many sorrows, they trudge along the path of thorns. No bounce in their steps.
Others, delightedly, are walking the path of faithfulness. Following in the steps of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, the Apostles, their Savior, they walk--never alone, strengthened by faith, empowered by the Spirit, rejoicing in hope. Their walk is a labor of love--sometimes tiring to the body, never tiring to the soul as He constantly renews their joy. The bounce in their step is a heart of gratitude for His all-sufficent grace. 
 

And the Lord has a message for them all.

To those on the wide path He whispers, "Today is the day of salvation. Believe in Me and I will give you abundant life--right now. I long to become your Everlasting Father."

 To those of His children on the path of thorns, He whispers, "Return to Me. I will give you rest. I will hold you up in the Everlasting Arms. We will have a celebration in Heaven at your healing, at your return."

 To those who are walking with Him, He whispers, "I will never leave you, never forsake you. When you are weak, I will be your strength. When the path seems dark, I will remind you of My promises, and they will be the light for your every next step. At the end of the journey, I will greet you with thanks, with the commendation, "Well done! You have been a good and faithful servant. You have followed in my footsteps."


Are you listening? What whisper do you hear?

An Evil World

We live in an evil world. A world where evil men are growing worse and worse--deceiving and being deceived. They have established their own standards for righteousness--sin. They freely give in to the urgings of their sin nature--iniquity. And they deny the standard of righeousness that God has ordained--they wllingly disobey it--transgression. At the root of it all is a "cunningingly devised fable." What is that fable? Someone has put it this way: "Man is a magnificent promise of what he is going to be." The truth: "Man is a magnificent ruin of what God intended him to be."
But what should be our response to such a world? Surely not surprise. The one who comes as an angel of light is the Arch Deceiver. The Father of Lies. The Liar of all Liars. His "light" is a blinding light--blinding men to the truth that's right before their eyes. We should expect no less. We cannot expect those who do not have the indwelling of the Spirit to think and act spiritually. Unsaved men are not committing spiritual adultery. Only the Bride can commit spiritual adultery. Only the Bride can love the world and the things of the world to such an extent that she becomes unfaithful--loses her love for the Bridegroom--betrays His love by living a life of disobedience.
We, must, like Paul, weep for the enemies of the cross. How horrible to never know His love! How lonely to never walk in fellowship with Him! How desperate to cling to a hopeless hope! We must pray that the only One who can make the blind to see will open their eyes to how deeply He loves them, how deeply He desires to spend each day from now through all eternity with them. how willingly He went to the cross to bear their sins and to set them free from its bondage.
And we must live righteous lives. "The righteous man shall live by faith." We must pray that our faith will be spontaneous and contagious. We must remember that the good works He empowers us to do in His name are the light of the world that penetrates the darkness and glorifies our Father. Our faithful obedience regardless of our circumstances is His instrument to draw men to Him--to remove the scales from their eyes. An unrighteous world desperately needs righteous men and women who no matter what obey--who no matter what love Him.
It is not the time for us to be discouraged but to be faithful. It is not the time for us to hate the sinners we would be had He not opened our eyes to His love and lavished us with His grace. It is the time for us to weep, to intercede on the behalf of others, to live a life that shines. It is time for the purity of the Bride to be undeniable. We must love the world He died for. We must love our Bridegroom with all our hearts and souls and minds and strength. We must make this our daily prayer: "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine . . . hide it under a bushel, No! I'm going to let it shine . . . let it shine 'til Jesus comes, I'm going to let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine."

Working

Faith's confidence rests in the assurance--the promise--we have that He is always at work. Most of the time we do not see His hand silenty but surely doing good for us and for those we love. But understanding who He is--the God of love, faithfulness, and perfect wisdom empowers us to ourselves be instruments of love, faithfulness, and comfort--even when, especially when, we cannot see. As one of my favorite quotes says, "He is too wise to make a mistake and too loving to be unkind." Dynamic faith reflects that confidence in word and deed. In times of success and in times of failure. In times of great joy and in times of great sorrow. In times when we can see and understand His goodness in our lives and in times we can see neither. Faith knows that the same love and grace that led Him to Calvary--willingly--on our behalf, is the same depth of love and grace that He is still working into our lives. "When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll . . .it is well with my soul." 

"All will be well."

Finished

"It is finished!"
Your redemption is complete. You have been justified--declared righteous, robed in His righteousness, never to face condemnation. Your sin debt has been nailed to His cross--stamped "paid in full." You are held in the hands of the Father and the Son. You are sealed with the indwelling presence of the Spirit. You who were dead in your trespasses and sins have been regenerated--made alive in Him, Possessors--sharers--of His eternal life. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever separate you from His infinite and eternal love. When you see Him, you will be like Him for you will see Him as He is.
"This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." "Lift up your hearts and sing! Your Lord and King adore!"

Reflections from August, 2017

Reflections from August, 2017

Strength is demonstrated by a gentle spirit--a life dedicated to lifting up, not tearing down.  Flex your spiritual "muscles" today.
__________

"And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

Does our world need anything more desperately than it needs visible and verbal acts of kindness?  I cannot control the world.  But I can--in my world--be an ambassador of kindness.
__________

The worst motivation for any decision is pride.  Prides is the catalyst for the fall.  "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God" is the catalyst for doing the good that honors and glorifies Him.
__________

No one has ever done anything to you that excuses you from God's call to faithfulness.
__________

In God's kingdom "compassion" is an action verb.
__________

How different the world would be if we just obeyed that one command:  "Treat others as you would like them to treat you."
___________

He is in complete control.
__________

Prayers for revival must always begin here:  "Search me, O God, and know my heart today.  Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.  See if there be some wicked way in me; cleanse me from every sin and set me free."
__________

In Love?

"How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of Hosts!"

When God is your love:

You long for fellowship with other believers.
You joyfully sing praise to the Living God.
You rejoice in His creation.
You praise Him daily for His blessings.
You rely on God for the strength you need for each day--no matter its difficulty.
You confidently pray to Him.
You rest behind His shield.
You joy in service to others.
You rest in His grace and glory.
You trust--and obey.

In love?

To a Servant

To a servant:

Diligence matters.
Integrity matters.
Passion matters.
Ready obedience matters.
Compassion matters.
Humility matters.
A Sense of the Master's presence matters.
Endurance matters.
Perseverance matters.
Excellence matters.

Lord, give me a servant's heart. Without such a heart, no one will ever see You in me.

Power and Wisdom

God gives power to those He will. And He gives it to the lowliest of men. Pray for the leader who thinks he's in power by his own doing--by his own merit. God is able and willing to humble the proud.

God gives wisdom to those He will. And the wise to whom He gives wisdom are the ones who realize how little they know. Pray for the leader who trusts in his own wisdom or in the wisdom of other men who are just as arrogant as he is. God is able and willing to humble the proud.

Statesmen are those who embrace their calling to humble servanthood. Everyone else is just a politician. Men without a shred of real character.

His Delight

As you know, one of God's good gifts to me in my "old age" is The Acres. The beauty that I see every day reminds me of His continual work to make all things beautiful--that day will come soon. On my walks--though I almost always take them alone (on rare occasions a friend, or sometimes a student friend from my past has joined me. They are always welcome.)--I am never alone. One of my constant prayers is that He always immerses me in a sense of His presence. And He does.
One of the truths He has been reminding me of lately is that, as any Father, He delights in His children. I am sure that when my Gardening Angels have planted a surprise on The Acres for me to "stumble" onto that He and they are just watching as delighted as I am when I "find" it. He gives us so many things to enjoy that we take for granted. I hope I never miss a moment of joy that He has planted along my path--at The Acres or anywhere else. Many times He and I have laughed in joy together at a new unexpected beauty in a flower or in the heart--and face--of one of my students. Yes, He delights in us. And I hope you know it's "us." You, too, are His delight--one of His children that brings Him great joy. He sees you--knows you--as His beautiful child.

Divine Appointments

Had a lovely afternoon having lunch with "old" friends. They are not old in the least, but it has been awhile since I have seen them. Jeff and Pam Stone--some of you may know them. Gorgeous people. I taught all their children--and they survived. "Old" friends are good for the soul. I used to teach a weekly Bible study in their home. Great memories. I also had a couple of "it's a small world" encounters. Eating at the same place where we were meeting were the Coughlins. They have graciously allowed me to lovingly torture their beautiful daughter Kennedi for two years now--with the hope of two more! Lovingly torturing students is a marvelous calling. I highly recommend it. And our waitress I had just met last summer--one brief moment--at Sam Bechtel's graduation party. (Yes, we were eating in Delaware.) She wants to teach, and some of her friends have been telling her not to do it! I, of course, told her to ignore the pagans and teach. Though James warns of extra accountability for teachers, if you can somehow by God's grace "convince" one young person that the only life that makes a difference is the life of following Jesus no matter what then teaching is worth any "risk." I'm assuming, perhaps presumptuously, that the Lord wanted me to encourage her one more time to pursue her heart for the classroom. So, naturally, I encouraged her half a dozen times--at least. Perhaps thirty years from now I'll run into her again somewhere, and she can tell me what a blessing her life of teaching has been to her. =) Yep, the Lord gave me a lovely afternoon. Old friends with whom I have been blessed to share a friendship rooted in our mutual love for Christ, a family with a daughter that I love who has a heart for Jesus. And one of those divine appointments that God is always surprising you with since we're not very good at filling in our own "appointment" books. This old hermit had a gorgeous day interacting with people. You just never know. =)

Fear Not

I believe there is a direct correlation between the depth of a man or woman's--or even a nation's--fear and the depth of their faith in God. Oh, not the depth of their faith in any god, but in THE God. THE God looked at the world and all its hatred, injustice, oppression, violence, self-reliance, covetous materialism, deep self-centeredness, constant fear and anxiety over a tomorrow over which they had no control and a yesterday whose choices with their consequences were rapidly gaining on them, and decided--not what I would have decided: to blow the place up and start all over--no, decided that such a world needed love and forgiveness and a hope as sure as He Himself. Surely, to look at the history of this world and think that humanity must solve its problems, rid the world of its oppression and injustice, bring about peace and selflessness is delusional--it should scare an honest man to death. The history of the world is that things are going from bad to worse.
But Christ on Calvary lovingly offers a man, living in such a world--hope. He or she need not be afraid. And the sure hope He offers is for today, for right now, as well as for the eternal future. Right now I can love in a hate filled world. Right now I can serve others and not live a life of self-centered indulgence. Right now I can refuse to pursue the lust for stuff. Right now I can raise my voice and use my body and my stuff to fight oppression and injustice. Right now I can set aside my fears of yesterday. "Surely," He promises, "My goodness and mercy will pursue you all the days of your life." Surely, I can rest in the truth that man can do nothing to me that I need fear. Surely, I can rejoice in the truth that all my tomorrows are part of His plan for good and that nothing can happen or be done to me that will separate me from His eternal love.
He who refuses to believe that the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God of infinite love and infinite goodness is in control of the history of this world--moment by moment, he who refuses to believe in the God who willingly died to give man a sure hope can only tremble in fear. The triumphant march of evil cannot be stopped by self-centered, evil humanity. Not once in the history of the world has man come close to defeating evil men, their evil choices, and the evil consequences.
But, He who puts His faith in the One who defeated sin, Who destroyed any chance of evil's final victory, Who empowers us through His Spirit to defeat evil each day, Who even put to death death itself, need never fear. Christ IS the victory that overcomes the world--today, tomorrow, and forever. Faith in THE God allows a man or woman to live a fearless life committed to resisting evil and confident in love's inevitable final victory over all evil.

"Fear not. In this troubled world I will fill you with My peace."

"Fear not. I have prepared a place for you so that where I am, there you can be also--for all eternity."

"Fear not. I will never leave you or forsake you--today, tomorrow, and during that eternal day when we will once again walk--fearlessly--in the Garden of My love.

Two Gifts

Sorrow and loss are two of God's most precious gifts to us.

Sorrow that we might know the world and feel empathy with a sinful world deep in sorrow. Without sorrow, I could not love in the darkest tests of faith--when those I love and those I am called to love--my neighbors--are in deepest need of a caring heart and a helping hand. The world says that sorrow is proof that God is not good; maybe even that He doesn't exist. And that is why men and women struggle to love sacrificially when and where it is most needed. And for as long as it's needed. Only men and women acquainted with grief are qualified to be comforters in a world desperately in need of comforting with a comfort resting in hope.

Loss is the road to a deepening knowledge of Him. "I count all things loss that I might know Him"--that I might be conformed to His likeness, that I might gain an intimacy with my Savior unencumbered by the things that steal away my love and my reliance on His love.. And to know Him is to love Him is no cliche. "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Celebrated with praise be the name of the Lord." Let us adore Him who draws us to His side as the One we need in a world where the temporary is adored--with an "adoration" that fills a man and women with emptiness.

Sorrow--that we might so love the world.

Loss--that we might more deeply know and love Him who is all we need.

Sorrow. Loss. Resplendent gifts from the Father--the Giver of Good Gifts--and only good gifts.

Reflections from July 2017

Reflections:

Regardless of the consequences--imagined or inescapably real--there is only one option.  Obedience.
__________

He keeps His promises.  Always.
__________

You cannot change the world.

But by acts of kindness, gracious words, and a sense of peace, you can touch lives each day with His presence and His glory.

And so . . . change the world.
__________

Men judge the success of a ministry by what they can see.  God looks at a man or woman's heart.  Faithfulness is His measure.  May Jesus find us faithful.
__________

Moment by moment He stands before the Father as your Advocate--your Defender.  And His defense of you is His righteousness.
__________

Do you understand that as His temple everything that you do today is meant to be an act of worship?  Your day is sacred.
__________

Contentment:  "It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me."
__________

You cannot live a victorious Christian life without full surrender.  Daily.  "All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give."

Ask Seek Knock

Prayer is asking, seeking, knocking. Asking in humility, acknowledging that only He can meet each need--that we are in total dependence on His goodness as our Father.
Seeking, committed to the pursuit of His Kingdom and His righteousness as the priority in your life--through His answer to your prayers you desire the furtherance of His Kingdom not yours.
Knocking--a fervent, persistence to know Him more deeply through the fellowship of prayer--a deep desire to count all things but loss in order to more fully and deeply understand His character and His will.

Ask--receive

Seek--find

Knock--an open door.

Keys to Contentment

The Keys to Contentment:
Immerse yourself in the Word! Let the Spirit fill you. He alone is the One who gives a singing heart. He cannot fill you if you are not in the Word. Out of the Word. Out of harmony with the Spirit. Empty--songless. And nothing fills the heart like singing a duet with the Spirit.
Pray about everything, but be sure every prayer about everything is a prayer of thanksgiving--a prayer that says "I trust Your love and Your wisdom. Master. My Lord and My God"
Weep, so that He can weep with you. Laugh so that He can join your laughter.
Embrace your calling as a call to service--a sacred ministry dedicated to the One who came as the Servant in order to redeem the world. To know God's heart you must have a servant's heart.
Don't focus on the evil in the world; focus on the desperation of those who believe their sin will give their lives meaning.. Empty lives need to encounter Jesus. You be the encounter.
Always remember that you can do nothing about yesterday or tomorrow. This is the day the Lord has made for you to rejoice in. Ban worry and fear from your thoughts by seeking first the kingdom of God today.
Don't be a grumbler, a complainer. Those are the people who spend their lives wandering in the wilderness forever restless and discontent.
Confess your sins. Keep walking with Him in the light.
Don't compare yourself to others. The night light in the closet is just as effective at glorifying the Father as the city on the hill. Just shine where He has placed you. That's where He needs your light or you wouldn't be there.
You don't need to be recognized by others. He knows. Their approval may subtly become more important than His "well done good and faithful servant."
Don't pursue money; you will be forever poorer than you wish you were.
No matter how much you lose, you can never lose your relationship with the faithful God of your salvation. Jesus Christ is all you need.
Be patient. Contentment is a lifetime process--in other words, a day by day process. Learn.

The Sin of Impatience

I don't believe that there is anything more dangerous than a refusal to wait on God--to doubt His timing in keeping His promises. First, it is to doubt His ability to do as He says, and, even worse, to doubt His willingness to keep His promises. It is a lack of faith in His character--in His faithfulness and goodness. Does He not make it clear in His Word that the surety of His promises rest solely on His character as the faithful, immutable God who cannot lie? To say the wrong things about God is a dangerous choice. Job's friends were guilty of that sin, and if Job hadn't interceded on their behalf, they were in big trouble.
Another danger in such impatience is that too often it leads to our trying to take things into our own hands. We deify our wisdom and power. We try to get people to do what we want them to do, when we want them to do it. We try to manipulate the situation to make it as we believe it should be. We act as if we are wiser than He is. Deadly. If those people do what we want them to do because of our manipulation then they are responding to us and not to the Spirit. How effective will that "spiritual" change be? Their "power" to change--their "boot strap" Christianity will not last long--and they will end up frustrated or even more resistant to God's leading. They may just give up trying to follow Him believing it to be impossible. Their spiritual transformation will be an illusion--an undermining of their faith--simply because we in our impatience with God's will and our lack of faith in Him and His promises deified ourselves. That's a storm that will being down the house. And remember, the greatest tragedy in the life of a fool--a Christian fool--is that all those he or she claimed to love will be in the house when it comes crashing down.
A third danger with such impatience is the effect it has on my prayer life. Every day I am commanded to cast my care on Him. Every day He promises to give me enough strength for what this day will bring forth. When I fail to do that--to wait on Him in prayer about the situation--I lose a sense of His presence. I lose a sense of His love and care for me. I make the problem my problem and not His. I become overwhelmed with worry, I become easy prey for the roaring lion. Instead of deepening my intimacy with the Lover of my Soul, I draw away from Him--deny His heart's desire to do good for me at the exact best time for that good to touch my life and deepen my faith in Him and my experiential understanding of the depth and height and immeasurable breadth of His love for me. I reject His love.
Ah, the consequences of the deadly sin of impatience with God--a loss of faith, a denial of His character, power, and goodness, an undermining of the faith of others, a distancing of myself from His love. "Wait on the Lord" is itself a command--a command with its own promise. They who wait on Him soar on eagle's wings. And the greater the storm the higher their faith in Him and His faithful promises will rise. "Wait, I say, on the Lord."

Like

Like Joseph may we cultivate such a deep sense of His presence that whatever the circumstances we can say with confidence, "His goodness is at work in my life."

Like Abraham may we have such confidence in His promises that if He says "Go," we go. And when when we look up at the stars of promise may we trust completely in the "impossible."

Like Job may we have the humility that as our knowledge of who He is deepens we find ourselves on our knees in repentance and staying on our knees as we intercede on the behalf of our friends because we see their flaws in us.

Like Peter may we set aside our failures, embrace His forgiveness, and seek to nurture His sheep that He has placed into our lives.

Like Daniel may we realize that all that we do is sacred--even when we work the ruler of Babylon or Persia. May we be as faithful in those duties as we are in praying by the open window. His glory is at stake in both callings.

Identity

Searching for your Identity?

Here's who you are:

His friend.
His child by adoption and new birth
Joint-heir with Christ
Sealed by the Spirit
His bride
His temple
His light and salt
An overcomer
The sheep of His pastuer
Reservations have been made for you--a room in the Father's House--for eternity
His beloved.

Meritocracy

Why do we so often believe--at least in our actions--that someone has to earn our love--be worthy of being loved? How much love would there be in the world if that was so? Did you earn His love? Do you think you could? I think that idea is really just another subtle form of idolatry--dishonest idolatry. To be "worthy" of our love just means that they have to do what we want them to do in order to please us. God calls us to love as He loves. Did He send His Son into the world--our loving Savior--because He thought the people in the world were worthy of being loved, forgiven, lavished with grace?

"Wide, wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above, deep, deep as the deepest sea is my Savior's love.  Oh, though so unworthy, still I'm a child of His love; for His Word teaches me that His love reaches me anywhere."

"Little children, let us love one another for love is of God."

Don't forget

A few truths we sometimes forget from the life of our Savior.

Jesus loved the poor--and the rich. And everyone in-between. Equally.

Our Savior had a deep confidence in women. He honored them.

Jesus proclaimed His confidence in the authority and inspiration of the Old Testament--not a jot or tittle will go unfulfilled.

Sometimes the best answer to someone's question is another question.

There is a direct correlation between the depth of our sorrow, our submission to God's will, and the depth of our joy.

The tests in our life are proof of His love and an are an expression of His confidence in us that we will use those tests to bring glory to His name.

Time alone is essential.

Meet physical needs with physical stuff. Don't stop there. Meet spiritual needs with spiritual "stuff."

He can calm any storm.

Tears are not a sign of weakness.  Or a lack of faith.

Righteousness and Sin

God in His Word has defined for us right and wrong--righteousness and sin. Where He has given us principles to apply to our walk, if my application of that principle, violates a clear command that He has given, my application is wrong. Culture does not define right or wrong. Man is not God. My experience--what I feel--does not define right or wrong. I am not God. A political party does not define right or wrong. Again, man as a majority or a minority does not define right or wrong. God's character--and He is immutable--as He has revealed it in His Word through commands by which a man or woman ought to live defines righteousness and sin. And that is not a truth to be "considered" by the world. That is a truth that needs to be embraced in the heart of each of His children. By me. By His church.

True Freedom

Freedom:

"And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."

"If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."

"For you were called to freedom, brethren, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "

"Act as free men and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."

Freedom is not the right to do as I please. Freedom is the God-given responsibility to choose to do what is right in His eyes. Those who are genuinely free--the bondslaves of God--serve others not themselves. They live lives that are free from the chains of self-absorption, of thinking in terms of what is best for me, but focus instead on the needs of others.

How free are the majority of America's citizens? How free are you? How free am I?

How Great Is Our God!

I have found that He is able to take the deepest sorrows--even those that cause the bones to ache--and to fill them to overflowing with His joy. "My joy I have given to you that your joy might be full." "My cup runs over." How great is our God!

I have found that in my fearful hesitations as I struggle to take one step further that He has come and encouraged my heart. "Only be strong and very courageous!. Every place that your foot will tread, I have given you the victory." He has been into my tomorrows and drawing a line through my fears, He has written instead "more than conquer through Me and the power of my love for him." How great is our God!

I have seen Him take the worst of evils and turn them into the greatest good. And not just for me, but for those who have done the evil. "Because," He says, "I know that you love them." "And because," He reminds me, "I love them too." How great is our God!

I have found that as I stand and watch the enemy "triumph," He has put into my heart a song--no, the song, accompanied by the stringed instruments of the Spirit's lyre: "Yet, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. He has given me the feet of the deer that I might prance on the highest mountains." How great is our God!

I have found that as I pant in thirst for a sense of His presence that the springs of living water that He has placed in my heart assuages my deepest thirst and fills me with His presence and His peace--beyond my comprehension. How great is our God!

I have found that in my deepest need that He has opened wide the storehouse of His "riches in glory" and poured out not just enough, but "more than I could ask or think." How great is our God!

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth.!!!"

Reflections for June 2017

He is the God who seeks the doubters and those who are overwhelmed with their failures. He is the God who pursues the one who is wandering on the mountain side. Yet, He is the God who waits patiently for the prodigal to "come to his senses" and return to His love and provision.
He is the God whose love will never let go.

_______________


History's Last Chapter:
"The earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

Today's History:
"The Lord is on His throne: let all the world be silent before Him."

_______________

Be at peace:  He knows

______________

Be at peace:  With all His heart, He cares.

______________

His eye is on the sparrow.

______________

"Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails; heaven and earth may pass away, but Jesus never fails."

Counting Blessings

These are a few of my favorite things: (No, there's no music)

My family
Being at a baseball game (combining those Saturday!)
Country living--even the noise is serene
Expository teaching--and the old hymns
Teenagers--it's a disease I have
Reading and writing and . . . more reading and writing (not that other stuff--I'm a Christian)
Soft rains
Watching thunderstorms at night in the darkness
Walking at night in a heavy, wet snowfall
Duck dinner for a holiday--well, for any day
Gentleness
The beauty of The Acres
Surprises at The Acres--get some every year (though the biggest so far has to be the goldfish in the pond)
Dead rodents
Sitting in silence with a friend for whom just each other's presence is enough
Art galleries
Giving secretly
Students who demonstrate scholarship
Cars that run
Alarm clocks that purr
A Reuben sandwich--but not on rye--and with a cold Pepsi
Simple elegance
The words, "I love you."--spoken to others and received from others (One of the many things God started.)
Puns--the groanier the better
Iris
The Old Testament prophets: "Thus, says the Lord!"

Hmmmmmmm. I guess that's more than a few. Hard to stop once you start! I think that it's going to take all of eternity to list each blessing. And we'll probably run out of time.

Lessons

There's a lesson in the book of Daniel that we often overlook. When Daniel stood before Belshazzar to reveal to him the meaning of the writing on the wall, he made a sobering comment, "you have not humbled your heart even though you knew all this." What did the king know that he had ignored? The lesson God had taught Nebuchadnezzar about humility and the source of all power--God Himself. First, that's a lesson it would do well for all politicians to meditate on. Their position of authority was God-given, and He, consequently, expects them at act on His behalf--to do what He would do. If God decided to write on the office walls of our leaders, could make for some sobering reading.
But there's another important lesson here; the one we seem to gloss over. When God "teaches someone else a lesson," He expects me to learn from it as well. Not only expects, He holds me accountable to have learned the lesson and to have applied it to my behavior. Second-hand learning is a part of God's lesson plans--for everyone, not just His people. Paying attention?

Disciples

The passion--the deepest desire of the heart of every disciple--is to be more like the--like his--Master. It is his prayer that in his spontaneous interactions with all the people in his life, and in his spontaneous response to every situation, and in his spontaneous reactions each day to all things that the only possible explanation will be, "he has been with Jesus." If that is not my prayer, if I am holding on to any vestige of myself, I have not yet embraced discipleship. If my heart's murmur is, I will allow Him to transform me as He desires unless it costs me earthly security. . . unless it costs me the approval of men . . . unless it costs me my "dream" of success. . . unless it costs me. . . than I am still demanding of Him that He share the throne as Lord of my life. As if such a thing is even remotely possible.
And discipleship begins with--not actions, though actions will follow--but with a way of thinking--a commitment to have the mind of Christ. "Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus." And that is not "mind" as in intellectual prowess, but "mind" as in a deep humility to surrender all rights to oneself in order to be the servant of all: to set aside all reputation and to take on the form of a servant, and to be obedient unto death. The true disciple pours himself out for others, becomes a spontaneous servant, and remains devoted to doing both until death--knowing that it is only then--joyously then--that the transformation into His likeness will be complete. "When I see Him, I will be like Him."
It is through His Spirit's transforming me into His image that I can touch the lives of others and encourage them to embrace genuine discipleship--the journey of lifelong transformation. No other way will do. All my heart, soul, mind, and strength will be wasted unless I love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. All. For then, and only then, I will find myself capable though the life of the Spirit within me of loving others as the Triune God loves them. 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son."

"Greater love has no man than this to lay down His life."

"The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

"O to be like Thee blessed Redeemer, this is my constant longing and prayer; gladly I'll forfeit all of earth's treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear. O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee! Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art! Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness, stamp Thine own image deep on my heart"

"Go into all the world and make disciples."

A Life of Trust

For those who have placed their trust in Him:

"The Lord willing" is the bedrock on which they build all their plans--confidently.
Sorrow--but not as those who have no hope.
Home, Hope, and Heaven are synonyms for the catalyst that deepens their loving obedience to Him in the present tense.
Pray about everything--everything "big" or "small"--with the patient expectation that His answer will deepen their understanding of His love and His wisdom.
Are always busy counting their blessings. Too busy counting to murmur or complain.
All that they have belongs unequivocally to Him and the furtherance of His kingdom--everything: their time, their resources, their possessions, their children. All to Jesus they surrender--all. Freely.
Pray for opportunities to give as secretly as possible to those in need--whatever they need.
When they see the world broken, hurting, violent, disillusioned, searching for meaning in stuff and the esteem of others, lost, rebellious, they respond with broken-hearts of love and compassion--with weeping intercession.
The word "duty" in their dictionary has been replaced with the word "joy."
Love the fellowship of other believers--other "trusters."
Sit under the Word expecting to hear the Spirit's voice--lean not on their own understanding.

"I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus--trusting only Thee"

To Make a Difference

To make a difference:

Listen more than you speak.
Don't let your "bad day" become everyone else's "bad day."
Say, "Thank you."
Answer softly.
Accept His forgiveness
Don't try to do the things only God can do. Or tell Him how to do them. Or when.
Think Scripture.
Be sure those who disappoint you know above all else how deeply you love them.
Spend time alone.
Knowing He has numbered your days, make this day count for Him.
Realize that when you get weary in doing well, it's because you're relying on your own strength and not His.
Esteem every one higher than you esteem yourself

God Most High

When God dealt with Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, He revealed Himself as God Most High. He, of course, was not suggesting that of all the gods, He was at the top, but that He was The God, The Most High. His message--"I humble the proud." Always. Who are the proud? Those who look over what they have accomplished and exclaim: "I did this. Not God. Me. Am I great, or what?" Woe, to the man or woman or nation that believes that. If plans are not made according to God's leading and in agreement with God's definition of truth and justice, those plans will fail. If a nation thinks that its military power and prowess make it invincible, God can destroy it in a day. He has in the past. When a people believe that they have the right to declare their own morality, they are on the slippery slope to hedonism--and the destruction of all things good. We need to pray for leaders that make their plans and decide on the solutions to our problems on their knees. We need to pray that our leaders will understand our vulnerability to defeat and destruction when we trust in our chariots and horses and not in Him. We need to pray for leaders who embrace God as the only source of truth and justice. And, even more importantly, we need to make our plans and approach our struggles on our knees. We need to quit trusting in our horses and chariots to give us the victory. We need to live by His definition of truth and justice. 

"Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and shield. For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee."

Promises

Some of the promises of God are beyond my human comprehension. Of course, at the ripe old age of 71, I have had many of His promises proven to me through my experiences, through my walking daily with Him. Many of those promises He has proven to me over and over again. Oh me, of little faith! I have found Him faithful--always. And patient. The ways He has transformed me so that I don't even recognize myself at times is amazing. Unbelievable. Such a Potter!
One promise beyond my understanding--I'm sure I've mentioned it before--is His promise to transform me for eternity into someone who will not even want to--be capable of--sinning. How can that be? knowing myself the way I do--impossible. Yet, I know that He is the omnipotent God who created the universe just by speaking it into existence. I know that He has destroyed the power of sin and death over His redeemed ones. I know that He can save sinners to the uttermost. And I know that He has promised it will be so--sworn on His character as God--the God who cannot lie--that it will be so. He will make me immortal and incorruptible, joint heir with His Son--my Savior. I can't "see" it happening, but I believe it. His omnipotence is unquestionable. I have found His faithfulness unconditional. I have found His Word always trustworthy.
I also struggle with His promise to wipe away all my tears--and even more incomprehensible--the sorrow beneath them. As an example, as it stands today--in my earthy vision--many of the people I have loved in my past, and many of the people I love now, love the most deeply and profoundly, appear to be headed to a Christ-less eternity. How can He wipe away that sorrow? An eternity without them--I can't imagine. But then, I remember Him--the man of sorrows--standing on a hill overlooking Jerusalem weeping for those He had sought over and over and over again to come and rest under His wings of love. And they had refused. They would within hours shout for Him to be crucified knowing He was innocent. They would walk by the foot of His cross and mock Him. Yet, He, in a sorrow deeper than mine could ever be--who has a heart of love like God's heart?--wept for them--and prayed for them that they would find forgiveness for what they had done. And I will never know the sorrow He felt on the cross: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" There is no sorrow to compare with that broken heart. And, so, though I do not understand, I know His heart, His love, His tears--and I believe that my broken-hearted Savior of eternal love will do all things well--wipe away my tears and sorrows with His eternal presence.
I do not understand. I cannot comprehend. But Him I know. Him I love above all others. Him I trust in all things. So, by His grace, I will today and every tomorrow that He gives me, and in the eternity to come be found--again only by His grace--"standing on the promises of Christ my King." The promises of the Omnipotent King of Eternal Love.

The Gospel

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes"

"Now I made known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you were saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain, for I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"

"But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed."

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes."

"Saved by grace alone! This is all my plea: Jesus died for all mankind, and Jesus died for me."

The Teacher

As an occasional Bible teacher, I must keep reminding myself of certain--what I believe--are important concepts:

All the wisdom and eloquence of a man cannot bring a soul to Christ. Only the Spirit can do that. And Paul warns the teacher that too often the intelligence and eloquence of a man has acted as a poor--dangerous--substitute for the genuine work of the Spirit. Sobering thought. Manipulation is sin.

The truth of God--the Word of God--is foolishness to the natural man who--because He does not have the indwelling presence of the Spirit--cannot begin to understand God's thoughts. Why then, i wonder, do we so often believe the natural man's views on what God's Word says and means--on what it is teaching?

One of the greatest dangers the Bible teacher faces in our post modern world is deciding what Scripture means--what I want it to mean--and then working on ways to prove it rather than simply believing what it says and using that as the basis for teaching what God means and how it applies to my life. Ah, the danger of telling God what He meant to say--what I believe He should have said.

I believe it is more important--most important--that we in our teaching emphasize to our young people why the truth is true--why our assumptions are valid--than to teach them why the lies are not true.

We spend too much of our energy and methods lifting up personalities, institutions, and organizations in an effort to draw men to Christ. And they do flock to those personalities and give their loyalty to those institutions and organizations. But it is when Jesus is lifted up that all men are drawn to Him.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." "Love your neighbor as I have loved you." Genuine discipleship focuses on all of these--heart, soul, mind, and strength--not just on one of them. And on all of them equally.

In other words, I must rely totally on the Spirit not my own abilities if God's work is really going to occur in the hearts of the listeners.
No matter how many degrees an unsaved man has He cannot rightly divide the Word of Truth. Don't be awed by pedigree.
God is the Great Communicator. He says what He means. I am not His editor.
"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." "Sanctify them through Your truth; Your Word is the truth."
Jesus only must be the focus of my teaching.
The command: "Go into all the world and make disciples." To do God's work, I must touch hearts, souls, minds, and strength. I must teach them to love their neighbor as deeply as they are loved by their Savior.

Memorials

Things God memorialized for His people to remember and to teach their children to remember:

There are consequences: In the Valley of Achor: Your choices affect all those you love. Don't try to steal what belongs to God.
Nothing can thwart My will for you. On the other side Jordan: No river, even at flood stage, can stop Me from leading you into the place of promise--the place of rest and victory.
I always keep My promises: On the way out of Egypt: As he told you--Take Joseph's bones with you to the land of promise. What men mean for evil, I will turn into good. The mightiest kings on earth do my bidding.
This is true wisdom: Remember your Creator--He is the foundation for all joy.
Be not afraid: Remember that you are never alone--never deserted. I will never leave you or forsake you.
I AM your Savior--and your coming King. In the church My body was broken for you. My blood was shed for your redemption. Remember My sacrificial love for you until I come again. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice--an act of worship in response to all the mercies I lavished on you at Calvary.

The End

And so it ends. Another "gang" of graduates let loose on the world. All with different gifts, different joys, different hopes, different storms to face, different choices to make, one Lord to glorify--to make visible to the world. Whatever He calls them to will be a sacred calling--an opportunity to make Him known. In every calling His presence is so desperately needed. And we need to remember that just because they have "left us" physically that does not mean that they should be removed from our hearts and from our prayers. The community has not lost any members; we have just spread out a little bit into the rest of the world. They were infused with head knowledge that the Lord can now transform into "real knowledge" through the challenges of the experiences He has planned for them. Growth has not stopped--or even been put on hold--it has been "fertilized" that growth might continue until their journey is complete. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our--your--Lord Jesus Christ. Graduates: continue on the journey to "Well done, good and faithful servant."

The End Is Nigh

The end is nigh. Exams are over tomorrow. The rush of a million grad parties is in full swing. Baccalaureate is tomorrow night. Graduation Sunday. Another group goes out in His name to another place where He is needed. Some will turn away. Sadly. Some, probably, already have. Some will be faithful to whatever He calls them to do, wherever He sends them to minister, for as long as He enables them to do so. As the world grows darker, they will shine brighter. What do old teachers do at such a time? 

Pray that they remember what they have been taught in word and deed.
Pray that they remember they are loved.
Keep in touch with those who stay in touch.
Rest in His love for them as they face the storms of life guaranteed to all.
Reflect on the opportunities given to touch lives for Him, in His name and through His strength. Hope you didn't mess up too many of them.
Pray that if they only remember one thing you taught them it will be that following and serving Him is all that matters.
Prepare for the next "crop."

A Message

God's message to the broken-hearted:

I AM the Potter; you are the clay. I know the vessel that I need to form to serve Me where I AM sending you.
I was broken for you.
Grace, joy, humility, patience with others, hope, comfort, a sensitivity to those who are hurting--these are the gifts that mature in brokenness.
I cherish your every tear. I have stored them in a bottle so that I can on that eternal day to come wipe them all away.
Broken hearts are needed in a world filled with the broken-hearted.
I have given you a heart like My heart.
Thank you.

The Commandment

The commandment is not "Don't be anxious about anything." The commandment is "Don't be anxious about anything BUT by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God." Don't try to accomplish the impossible--to defeat anxiety through your own human will power. If you could do that, you wouldn't have anxiety to begin with. Give your anxities to the One who already knows how He's going to use the situation for your good and His glory. And then, wait--and watch Him work. Faith prays, waits, and soars on the winds of adversity.

Finish the Course

I am always reminded this time of year of the importance--and the difficulty--of finishing strong. Why do we live--even though we know it's not true--as if God doesn't desire accountability at the end of the journey? How I finish does matter. I demonstrate my love for Him by the way I live every day whether it's the first day or the last day--or any day inbetween. My prayer to Him every day is that He will enable me to finish strong--this day if it is my last, this year of teaching if it is my last, this day of being by His Spirit's enabling Christ-in-the-room to each one that I encounter. May God grant each of us the endurance, selflessness, courage, and joy necessary to "finish the course."

Success

We live in a culture that defines success in terms of materialism and prestige. Perhaps that's one of the reason that we live in a society desperate for meaning. Such temporary things as money, stuff, and the favorable opinions of others are fleeting and illusionary. None of those things provides the least assurance for the soul. God defines success in a completely opposite way. Success in His eyes--excellence might be a better term--is a life focused on spiritual riches and on serving others.
The stuff He gives us--after we meet the genuine needs of our family and our extended family--is to be used to meet the needs of others. Such investments in the eternal are more secure than any currency or material thing that I can clasp with my hands. They are the "gold and precious stones" reserved in the vaults of Heaven--crash proof, thief proof, and fire proof. They are investments in the "well-done." They are the "seeking first the kingdom of God" that casts aside anxiety and that frees me to live this day--the only day I have--to His glory.
The heart of a servant is a heart like His. When I "esteem others better than myself" as He did incomprehensibly when He walked among men, He uses the strength He has given me to be the submissive pillar of encouragement, consolation, tenderheartedness, and loyal love that those He has placed in my life need to become all that He has called them to be. In a miraculous way--yes, the Christian walk is a daily miracle--He allows me to be Christ-in-the-room in the glorious mundane of daily life.
Such a life--a life where my stuff and my strength are surrendered to Him to do good for others--is a life enriched with meaning and purpose and joy. It is the only life that is genuinely--spontaneously--successful. Excellent.

When You Pray

When you pray, do not be afraid to ask for the miracle. Not a miracle. The miracle--Father this is my heart's deepest desire. Our Father is not offended to know that we trust in His power and in His willingness to bless His children. He is able. He is willing.
And when you pray, do not hesitate to pray, "Thy will be done." The Father's heart is touched by your confidence in His wisdom and in His promise to through the answer to your prayer do all things for your good and for the good of the community in which He has placed you, His child--the child of His love.

Such prayers prayed through the groanings of the Spirit for the Father's will and through the intercession of the Son for the Father's glory are simple yet profound prayers of our resonating love for Him and our submissive confidence in His love for us.
And, in His confidence in us that we will embrace His will and rest in His ability to strengthen us to use His answer to our prayer--His will--to bring Him praise and to glorify Him among men.

Proverb for the Day April 28,2017

Proverb for the Day:

"It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it."

God's blessing is always accompanied with a deep rich joy.

Proverb for the Day April 27. 2017

Proverb for the Day:

"Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you, reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (9:8-10)

We identify ourselves by how we respond to reproof. The wise man has a teachable spirit and understands how much he still needs to learn. And he understands that all wisdom and insight comes from a deeper understanding of the majesty of His Lord's character. I cannot know what Jesus would do if I do not understand who He is--The Lord. The Holy One.

Proverb for the Day April 26, 2017

Proverb for the Day:

"Take my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than gold. For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things can not compare to her." (8:10-11)

How rich are you? How much time do you spend in the Word?