Weariness

There is a command, an encouragement, Paul gives to the churches. It is, I admit, one of those truths that I need to be constantly reminded of.
He reminded the church at Corinth of this truth. They were a group of Christians that were so obsessed with impressing others with how spiritual they were that Paul called their "spirituality" carnal--completely controlled by the fleshly--worldly--desire for self-recognition and the applause of men. There was no love for the Father in anything they did.
He reminded the churches in Galatia of this truth. They were a group of professing Christians who were struggling with the gospel by grace alone. They were leaning toward believing in a salvation that claimed the keeping of the law was necessary for redemption--that the willing, loving sacrifice of God's Beloved Son on the cross was insufficient to gain God's forgiveness. Paul called such a message Satanic, and those who believed it "foolish."
He reminded the church at Thessalonica of this truth. They were a group of Christians whose faithfulness in the face of great persecution filled Paul with joy. The good they were doing appeared to be powerless to change lives--to draw people to their Savior. But they continued to do good.
Three diverse groups of people, same reminder--challenge--encouragement: "Don't lose heart. Don't become weary of doing good."
The first group needed that reminder because nothing is more tiresome then trying to live the spiritual life in the flesh. Trying to be spiritual to impress men through my own efforts is debilitating. Since the love of self is the motivation and not the love of God and my neighbor, the heart-will to obey Him is soon a burden. Weary in doing well? Who are you trying to impress and whose strength are you relying on to do good? Living a weary, loveless life is deadly.
The second group needed to be reminded that doing good was not the means to obtain grace, to be immersed in God's love. We are saved by grace through faith to be His workmanship ordained to do good works. It is our calling not our means of salvation. It is His purpose for our live after His saves us. Doing good to earn God's love rather than doing good because you are already His beloved is also deadly. How wearisome is it to try to earn God's love rather than to express your love for Him and to others through doing the good that reveals to others His beautiful love?
The third group needed to be reminded because their doing good for others didn't seem to be making things any better; in fact, they were being persecuted for doing the good that pleased Him. Paul needed to remind them that the joy they experienced in the face of adversity flowed from their being the light of the world, from doing those things that glorified their Father in Heaven. To stop doing those good deeds would leave them joyless, without the strength to be genuine reflectors of His love--to each other in the body of Christ and even to their "enemies."

So I need the Spirit's reminder when the weariness sets in--and, at times, it does;

"Remember, you are not fulfilling your calling--doing good--in order to impress men with your spirituality.
"Remember you are not fulfilling your calling to earn God's love. His love for His own is inescapable. You are fulfilling your calling in order to bring joy to His heart--because you love Him.
"Remember, fulfilling your calling does not require that you see any evidence of making a positive difference. You may experience the exact opposite. Your doing good may be slandered--and you, too. But remember, He has promised your faithfulness in doing good will produce eternal fruit for His eternal glory. And it will fill you right now with the joy necessary to strengthen you as you continue to do the good He has ordained for you to do."

"Don't lose heart. Don't grow weary in doing good. In due season you will reap if you faint not." Press on--the joy of the Lord will be your strength.

Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts:

Jesus said that for those who harm little children that it would be better for them if a millstone were hung around their necks and they were cast into the sea. What would our country--let alone the world--look like if God made such people wear their millstones now?
When I wake up in the morning befuddled, discouraged, weary, I always sing this song to myself: "When morning gilds the sky, my heart awakening cries, 'May Jesus Christ be praised!'" Good heart medicine for the day.
Paul: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake." Those are not the words of a man struggling with depression, but the words of a man living in eager anticipation--anticipation of seeing His Savior face-to-face and anticipation of being used by God each day until that "very much better" moment. Paul's confidence in His future inspired his confidence in the present. May such be our heart's desire.
I'm 73-years-old. I lived a long time without a cell phone. Sometimes I wonder if today I have more faith in--feel more secure with my cell phone, than I did--do--in God's immanence in my life? Facetiously, of course.
When I give of my resources to those doing humanitarian work in this world, I have to keep reminding myself of my Lord's warning, of His sobering rhetorical question: "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" Will the person who I've helped with his earthly struggles and didn't introduce to Jesus thank me in eternity for helping him with those needs, or ask me, "Why did you not introduce me to Jesus?"
And when Jesus told us that "the poor you have always with you," He was just reminding us that we always have an opportunity to do good with our surplus funds.
Why do those people who tell us that there is no truth believe themselves?
Jesus Christ can forgive anything. Jesus Christ longs to forgive everything.
I believe post-modernism is making a home in the church. Oh, we change the name to "scholarship," but it's still interpreting Scripture on the basis of what I want it to say, not what God actually said. We don't like the world to think us fools. Pride is what that is.
I believe that many Christians today have made God the personification of natural selection. All these years He hasn't been telling us the truth, just what it would be profitable for us to believe. Terrifying thought, is it not?
As an educator I'm afraid Postman's fear has become a reality. Many of my students are "amusing themselves to death"--spiritual "death."
The Christian walk is on a narrow road. Do you only feel comfortable with the crowd?
One of America's celebrities testifies that she turned from Christianity when her pastor said that God was jealous of His people. God is not jealous of His people as if they have something He wishes He had--as if they are somehow more talented in some area than He is. God is not jealous of His people but for His people. He loves them so deeply that He longs for a relationship with them, longs to deepen that relationship, will do anything necessary to bring them back to His embrace when they turn away to pursue another relationship with something or someone. He loves them too much to let them pursue another--vastly inferior--love. Of. For. What a difference a preposition can make.
When will we accept the truth that Presidential fiat, legislative action, or judicial decision is never a catalyst for revival? Revival is possible when God's people humble themselves and pray that He will send a revival to their own heart. Or revival comes through persecution when God purifies His church--when it costs something to be devoted to Him. Or revival comes when God judges a nation and sets aside His faithful remnant. His judgment always begins with His people. Revival is for His people.
Darwin in his own writings shows that he was a racist, warmongering, imperialist. He was a proponent of infanticide--especially baby girls, eugenics, genocide. He was amused with Malthus' idea that starvation was nature's way to eliminate the weak-- "at last a theory by which to work." He thought a civilization was "ignorant" to "build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed, and the sick, . . . to institute poor laws, for our medical men (to) exert their utmost skill to the save the life of everyone to the last moment. .." to vaccinate to prevent those with "a weak constitution" to survive. Why do people admire him again?

Security

A false sense of security, a sense that there are no consequences, is, as Shakespeare says, "mortal's greatest enemy." The Bible warns us of the danger of that false sense of overconfidence often. Think of it: the man who believes that his good works will earn him a standing before the Holy God will never humble himself, repent of his sins, and confess his desperate need of the Savior. It is sinners that God calls to repentance--not the self-righteous. No one, other than Jesus, our Redeemer, has ever lived a life "good enough" to escape the judgment of the God who cannot sin. No one. And He bore the wrath of God on our behalf that if we humble ourselves and repent of our sinfulness, believe that He is the resurrection and the life, we will be free from condemnation--eternal condemnation...There are eternal consequences for trusting in your own flawed righteousness--for feeling secure in your "goodness." Is it not foolishness to believe that your righteousness surpasses--or even comes anywhere close--to the righteousness of Jesus? Then, why are you trusting in yours instead of putting your faith and confidence is His, and His alone?

It Is Glory

Walking with Jesus
The focus must be on today's walk--not yesterday's and not tomorrow's. There's enough evil to be faced this day to worry about tomorrow, and yesterday's missteps are under the blood. He will use them to mold us into a vessel fit for the Master's use--today.
The walk requires that I be energized and strengthened by the Word of Life; no daily feasting, no power, no understanding, no wisdom. I stutter step through the day's moments void of the confidence of His promises settled in my heart and mind.
The walk requires time at the foot of the cross. Confession, joy that my condemnation has been removed--the debt fully paid, a reminder of the sure hope He gives me of inescapable love--all these things deepen my love for Him and make obedience not a burden but a love gift to my eternal Savior, loving Father, and guiding Spirit.
The walk requires that I radiate His grace and His truth to everyone with whom I come in contact. I walk in the kindness that forgives as God has forgiven me. I walk in the joy that is my strength--never weary of well-doing. I walk in the peace that reflects my confidence in the victory that is already mine, the victory promised to me His overwhelming conqueror, the steadfastness that makes me immovable during the earthquakes of life.
The walk requires that I sing a song of praise throughout the day. "I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth." I dare not walk without a song.
The walk requires that I mediate on the visions He has given me--those memories from my past that remind me that I do not walk alone, that I can trust in His unfailing faithfulness, that He will meet my every need, that a broken heart and contrite spirit He will not despise but treasure up in His heart. I have never walked a day when He has not been with me--found green pastures, rested quietly by still waters, had my struggling soul restored, been comforted by His rod and His staff.

"It is glory just to walk with Him."

Walk on.

Steadfast: Fixed in Direction

Steadfast: fixed in direction

"He set His face toward Jerusalem."

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord."

The disciple must be as set in the direction of God's calling on his life as our Savior was "set"; steadfast, incapable of being moved off the path of obedience. Incapable of being moved from the work the Father had given Him to do.

That command is book ended between two great truths--one in our past, one in our future. The command rests on an astounding, eternal truth from the past, "Thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" He set His face steadfastly toward Jerusalem that He might give us the victory over sin and death--a victory that we could never attain. Our love response to such steadfast love should be--spontaneously--a deep desire to do His work. We must set our affections, our loves, on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. His redeeming work is finished. Our faces must be set on the efficacy of His eternal work on our behalf. Our direction in life to fulfill His will in the Jerusalem to which He has sent us must be immovable. Nothing or no one should be able to turn us aside from the work of the Lord He has assigned us to do. As He has finished His work of victory, so we must take up our cross and finish ours. The servant is not above His Master.
The command to steadfastness also rests on a future promise. "Knowing that your work is not in vain in the Lord." Was His work easy, painless, free of sorrow? No. Was His cross viewed as a defeat in the eyes of men? Yes. Was it in vain? No, it was the greatest victory in the history of eternity past, present, and future. Are you weary in the work of the Lord? Struggling to see any purpose or victory in the work He has called you to do? Meditate and rejoice in His promise: "your work--since it is My work--will not be in vain." Remember your faith rests in the God who rewards those "who diligently seek Him." Be energized by the promise--"the work you do in My name will never be in vain. I will always accomplish My purpose through your steadfast, obedient, abounding love in My work. It will not, cannot, be in vain."

"Victory is promised through grace."

We are "more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

Set your face toward your Jerusalem each and every day. Let nothing, let no one, turn you away from His calling on your life. The disciples' path: steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing (yes, knowing!) that all work for Him will not be in vain.