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.
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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.