Lord whether You crush me or You raise me up it’s all for your purpose. Whether I fall or I stand You are the One who will be glorified and You are the One who will bring about good out of the appearance of evil. You are amazing, from the barren You bring forth a bountiful harvest and in the waste land your spring of Living Water flows. For I know if I am laid low I will once again stand and if You place my feet on a mountain top You will give me the courage to face my enemy in the valley. Where my path leads in this life matters not but only that I am following You, for one day I know You will call me home and though I pray that day is soon I know You have a work that is to be done through me, here and now and therefore I will wait. Lord, help me not to miss it because of concern for my own comfort. So if You should lead me to the valley I will go and if I am to climb the mountain then I say, “let’s go!” Whatever your purpose is bring it to pass so that I may live this life with no regrets and help me to be wise so I don’t unwillingly bring these things upon myself. Lead me Lord so that I may know You better and cause me to be open about what You have done in my life with others.
(Psalms 3:1-8 TNIV) A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom. LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the one who lifts my head high. I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
(2 Samuel 18) Absalom ended up falling before king David but not at David’s hands and stranger yet was the way he fell. For Absalom was a son filled with pride and it was by a symbol of his pride that stopped him in his tracks – his hair! His hair became tangled in tree branches as he was riding his mule during the battle which left him hanging at the mercy of his father’s army and though king David told his men to protect Absalom for his sake some of David’s men did not have the same restraints as the king did for his son. Absalom died that day at the hands of those he threatened and pride and arrogance were the things that bound him, holding him before his enemy depending on their mercy even though he intended to destroy them and exalt himself over them.
In turn when king David found out about his son’s death David cried aloud for his son and wished it was he who died instead. Even though the king had to run from his son it tore him apart to learn that Absalom had been killed in battle. To be betrayed and pursued by those whom you love is a difficult thing indeed, when Jesus died it was not the nails or the soldiers or the Jewish leaders that held him on the cross that day but his heart for his people. Even though Jesus was left alone He was filled with compassion as we see Him having mercy on the dying thief in their last moments and asking His Father to forgive those who came to watch Him die, Jesus died that day not from the physical abuse but of a broken heart.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The advice of the wicked
(Psalms 1:1-6 NLT) Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
How do we live in a world but be not of it? Balancing the laws of man with the leading of God’s Spirit? Discernment is given to those who delight in God’s leading and those who find comfort in His staff. Even man’s best attempts lead to hollow promises and unanswered questions; for their counsel keeps appearances of wisdom but the foundation of it is far from wisdom. Those who judge, those who mock should be warned for it is by the same judgment they give that they will be given but those who know God hold fast to His promises, they love His ways, and they trust Him with their very lives. No matter what storms may come or how intense the winds blow they cannot be moved for they know man’s laws cannot bring about salvation nor does it bring joy but contempt and revenge. It is during their testing and trials that they will bear fruit and it is by this fruit their hearts will be revealed but the world cannot see it for they lack the discernment. The very things man’s systems try to prevent it instead creates a breeding ground for, leading to only worse events than the original wrong. This happens every day yet mankind and its systems cannot offer another solution and therefore continue down this path which leads to destruction. Psalms 1:4 “They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.”
How do we live in a world but be not of it? Balancing the laws of man with the leading of God’s Spirit? Discernment is given to those who delight in God’s leading and those who find comfort in His staff. Even man’s best attempts lead to hollow promises and unanswered questions; for their counsel keeps appearances of wisdom but the foundation of it is far from wisdom. Those who judge, those who mock should be warned for it is by the same judgment they give that they will be given but those who know God hold fast to His promises, they love His ways, and they trust Him with their very lives. No matter what storms may come or how intense the winds blow they cannot be moved for they know man’s laws cannot bring about salvation nor does it bring joy but contempt and revenge. It is during their testing and trials that they will bear fruit and it is by this fruit their hearts will be revealed but the world cannot see it for they lack the discernment. The very things man’s systems try to prevent it instead creates a breeding ground for, leading to only worse events than the original wrong. This happens every day yet mankind and its systems cannot offer another solution and therefore continue down this path which leads to destruction. Psalms 1:4 “They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.”
Monday, September 16, 2013
How I want to love
(1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NLT) If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
This has always been one of the chapters in the Bible that I keep coming back to again and again. I cling to it, not because I’ve got it down but because this is who I want to be. Of the things that have no spiritual value riding motorcycles is at the top of my list. Because of the risks involved I take every precaution each time I ride, including wearing the right gear, riding safely, watching and anticipating other drivers, and learning from those who know more than I do about the sport. In the motorcycle safety course I took I was taught to keep my eyes on where you wanted to go, not what you wanted to avoid. When going around a curve you are to look at the exit not the guard rail, when there is an obstacle in the road you are to fix your eyes on the way through it not on the obstacle itself. This is good to know when riding but it is also good to know when living life. Keep your eyes on what love is (1 Cor. 13) and move towards that, as you lean around that curve you may not be steady, you may feel like you are going to fall but you are learning. Concentrate on where you want to go, what you want your life to look like, who you want to be. Eventually, your movements from one curve to the next will flow and you will be steady regardless of obstacles in your path. God’s love will eventually become second nature and it will replace the human, conditional love that really isn’t love at all.
This has always been one of the chapters in the Bible that I keep coming back to again and again. I cling to it, not because I’ve got it down but because this is who I want to be. Of the things that have no spiritual value riding motorcycles is at the top of my list. Because of the risks involved I take every precaution each time I ride, including wearing the right gear, riding safely, watching and anticipating other drivers, and learning from those who know more than I do about the sport. In the motorcycle safety course I took I was taught to keep my eyes on where you wanted to go, not what you wanted to avoid. When going around a curve you are to look at the exit not the guard rail, when there is an obstacle in the road you are to fix your eyes on the way through it not on the obstacle itself. This is good to know when riding but it is also good to know when living life. Keep your eyes on what love is (1 Cor. 13) and move towards that, as you lean around that curve you may not be steady, you may feel like you are going to fall but you are learning. Concentrate on where you want to go, what you want your life to look like, who you want to be. Eventually, your movements from one curve to the next will flow and you will be steady regardless of obstacles in your path. God’s love will eventually become second nature and it will replace the human, conditional love that really isn’t love at all.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
To each one a purpose is given
(1 Corinthians 12:11 TNIV) All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
We each come to Christ Jesus through the work He has done, drawn by God’s Holy Spirit we confess that He is Lord. Then God is faithful to give us new hearts and minds free to love Him for who He is and what He has done for us. In this process the Holy Spirit gives to each one gifts but not for our good but for the good of the body of Christ so that He might be glorified and so the world will know there is a Heavenly Father that cares for them by the things we do and say as we operate in the gifts the Holy Spirit has given. Not only that but we are to minister to each other caring for one another as we would the parts of our own body. If you stump your toe on the chair do you not immediately pull your foot back to protect it from further injury without thinking about it? Your whole body feels pain and so it is with the body of Christ if a brother or sister is hurting, without hesitation our concern should be for them and how God might use us so the one hurting is reminded of His love. To move in unity as God leads, to know each other as close friends would, to offer yourself and to pour your heart out for another. When the church learns to do this its number will increase and God’s purpose shall be done. Ultimately we are to love God so much that our hearts are filled and overflowing with His love until it infects those around us and to the outer most parts of the earth shall the work He has done be known.
We each come to Christ Jesus through the work He has done, drawn by God’s Holy Spirit we confess that He is Lord. Then God is faithful to give us new hearts and minds free to love Him for who He is and what He has done for us. In this process the Holy Spirit gives to each one gifts but not for our good but for the good of the body of Christ so that He might be glorified and so the world will know there is a Heavenly Father that cares for them by the things we do and say as we operate in the gifts the Holy Spirit has given. Not only that but we are to minister to each other caring for one another as we would the parts of our own body. If you stump your toe on the chair do you not immediately pull your foot back to protect it from further injury without thinking about it? Your whole body feels pain and so it is with the body of Christ if a brother or sister is hurting, without hesitation our concern should be for them and how God might use us so the one hurting is reminded of His love. To move in unity as God leads, to know each other as close friends would, to offer yourself and to pour your heart out for another. When the church learns to do this its number will increase and God’s purpose shall be done. Ultimately we are to love God so much that our hearts are filled and overflowing with His love until it infects those around us and to the outer most parts of the earth shall the work He has done be known.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Better to judge yourself
(1 Corinthians 11:31-32 TNIV) But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
Pay attention to God’s leading and do what you can to stay on the path of the righteous for if you don’t judgment will come but if it does know that God has brought you to this place so that your soul remains in tact. I think sometimes Christians get the idea that we are exempt from God’s correction and because we’ve been shown “the way” somehow that makes all of our future decisions holy but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We find Paul correcting the Corinthians and though his words sting a little bit it is better than God’s judgment.
(1 Corinthians 11:28-30 NLT) That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God's judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
But even God’s judgment as His children is better than what God has reserved for those who refuse to follow Him and on that terrible day those who received God’s correction while on earth will be glad for the hardships and difficulties faced because the alternative is beyond human comprehension. God is more concerned about the state of our souls than the comfort of our flesh.
(Matthew 25:41 NLT) "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
I recently watched a documentary on Hell. It was by religious people interviewing other religious people and I was surprised how far people would venture from the truth to explain something that confounds them but there was one interview of an atheist and his perspective was closer to the truth than any other. It seems the religious world gets tripped up on how a God being good could condemn people to a place of untold pain and horror but if we take what Paul told the Corinthians it is clear there are lines set before us that we cannot cross without facing consequences, these lines were set in place before man appeared on the scene. God does not make us cross those lines, as a matter of fact God made a decision when He made man to allow us to have free will and without taking that away from us He does everything possible to keep us from choosing spiritual death. God gave us the law so that we might know right from wrong, He corrects us to show us when we’ve made a bad decision that will ultimately hurt us, He has sacrificed His Son so that the price we owed for sin might be paid, and after all of this there are those who still refuse to turn from their wicked ways. So I ask you, who condemns us? We do by our own free will! I believe those who have never heard about Christ Jesus will still be judged justly. I believe God has the ability and right to judge them based on the amount of truth that has been revealed to them. I don’t pretend to know how, I only know who and I know holiness and righteousness requires payment, why else would God send His only Son to die? Was that fair that a righteous King should send His only Son to die for sinners already condemned to die? And if that is required why wouldn’t our decision to live life according to God’s righteousness be required? If an ultimate payment is not real then what is all this about, doesn’t life lose its meaning?
Pay attention to God’s leading and do what you can to stay on the path of the righteous for if you don’t judgment will come but if it does know that God has brought you to this place so that your soul remains in tact. I think sometimes Christians get the idea that we are exempt from God’s correction and because we’ve been shown “the way” somehow that makes all of our future decisions holy but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We find Paul correcting the Corinthians and though his words sting a little bit it is better than God’s judgment.
(1 Corinthians 11:28-30 NLT) That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God's judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
But even God’s judgment as His children is better than what God has reserved for those who refuse to follow Him and on that terrible day those who received God’s correction while on earth will be glad for the hardships and difficulties faced because the alternative is beyond human comprehension. God is more concerned about the state of our souls than the comfort of our flesh.
(Matthew 25:41 NLT) "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
I recently watched a documentary on Hell. It was by religious people interviewing other religious people and I was surprised how far people would venture from the truth to explain something that confounds them but there was one interview of an atheist and his perspective was closer to the truth than any other. It seems the religious world gets tripped up on how a God being good could condemn people to a place of untold pain and horror but if we take what Paul told the Corinthians it is clear there are lines set before us that we cannot cross without facing consequences, these lines were set in place before man appeared on the scene. God does not make us cross those lines, as a matter of fact God made a decision when He made man to allow us to have free will and without taking that away from us He does everything possible to keep us from choosing spiritual death. God gave us the law so that we might know right from wrong, He corrects us to show us when we’ve made a bad decision that will ultimately hurt us, He has sacrificed His Son so that the price we owed for sin might be paid, and after all of this there are those who still refuse to turn from their wicked ways. So I ask you, who condemns us? We do by our own free will! I believe those who have never heard about Christ Jesus will still be judged justly. I believe God has the ability and right to judge them based on the amount of truth that has been revealed to them. I don’t pretend to know how, I only know who and I know holiness and righteousness requires payment, why else would God send His only Son to die? Was that fair that a righteous King should send His only Son to die for sinners already condemned to die? And if that is required why wouldn’t our decision to live life according to God’s righteousness be required? If an ultimate payment is not real then what is all this about, doesn’t life lose its meaning?
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
So that others might be saved
(1 Corinthians 10:31-33 NLT) So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don't give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don't just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.
Paul placed his wants and needs to the side so that he could please others, not for the purpose of puffing himself up through the pretense of false humility but for the purpose of glorifying God by bringing them to Christ Jesus so they might be saved. This is a sign of the totally surrendered life and the place where I would one day like to be. For most of us life just simply gets in the way, we’re busy providing for our kids, our spouse, and every once in a while you are able to take some time for yourself but that leaves God out, resulting in your world being very small. Paul was not married and as he said earlier his attention was not divided but celibacy does not automatically make one dedicated to God. If I were single I definitely would have more time but if I did not keep God centered there would be other things that would get in the way, maybe even more so. Daily sacrificing one’s wants and needs so that you are able to minister to others takes training and dedication just like praying and study every day. Prayer and the study of God’s Word is the foundation for the work Paul was doing but he went beyond that, he put his faith into action and he kept his eyes on the goal given to him by his Savior, whom he loved. Paul was God’s instrument and was used by God consistently. Have you ever had a moment in your life when you knew God was using you for a purpose beyond yourself? Do you remember how you felt? Well now imagine that happening every day! For Paul this was a lifestyle but it did not come from pushing himself or others to do better but by being totally surrendered to God and proving himself faithful. As he completed the simple things God gave him bigger things to do and we see God continually equipping Paul to do His work. By this means Paul was transformed into someone he tried so hard to become before meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus but could not. I believe all too often we too want this God-centered life but like Paul we try to get there on our own but it is only after we come face to face with our Lord that our feet are set on the right path. Then we start out with baby steps until one day we find our lives completely surrendered to Jesus.
Lord, thank you for working on my heart for I have allowed the world to twist and shape parts of it and still other parts are hard and parched and are not currently ready for the things you created me to do. Wash me in Living Water so that these parts will become pliable and reshape the twisted parts until it resembles Yours. Thank You for building this foundation in my life and help me not to delay the process You are doing that will put this faith to action. Thanks God for loving me as I am so that I can grow into what You meant for me to be. Amen.
Paul placed his wants and needs to the side so that he could please others, not for the purpose of puffing himself up through the pretense of false humility but for the purpose of glorifying God by bringing them to Christ Jesus so they might be saved. This is a sign of the totally surrendered life and the place where I would one day like to be. For most of us life just simply gets in the way, we’re busy providing for our kids, our spouse, and every once in a while you are able to take some time for yourself but that leaves God out, resulting in your world being very small. Paul was not married and as he said earlier his attention was not divided but celibacy does not automatically make one dedicated to God. If I were single I definitely would have more time but if I did not keep God centered there would be other things that would get in the way, maybe even more so. Daily sacrificing one’s wants and needs so that you are able to minister to others takes training and dedication just like praying and study every day. Prayer and the study of God’s Word is the foundation for the work Paul was doing but he went beyond that, he put his faith into action and he kept his eyes on the goal given to him by his Savior, whom he loved. Paul was God’s instrument and was used by God consistently. Have you ever had a moment in your life when you knew God was using you for a purpose beyond yourself? Do you remember how you felt? Well now imagine that happening every day! For Paul this was a lifestyle but it did not come from pushing himself or others to do better but by being totally surrendered to God and proving himself faithful. As he completed the simple things God gave him bigger things to do and we see God continually equipping Paul to do His work. By this means Paul was transformed into someone he tried so hard to become before meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus but could not. I believe all too often we too want this God-centered life but like Paul we try to get there on our own but it is only after we come face to face with our Lord that our feet are set on the right path. Then we start out with baby steps until one day we find our lives completely surrendered to Jesus.
Lord, thank you for working on my heart for I have allowed the world to twist and shape parts of it and still other parts are hard and parched and are not currently ready for the things you created me to do. Wash me in Living Water so that these parts will become pliable and reshape the twisted parts until it resembles Yours. Thank You for building this foundation in my life and help me not to delay the process You are doing that will put this faith to action. Thanks God for loving me as I am so that I can grow into what You meant for me to be. Amen.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Opposition from without and from within
1 Corinthians chp. 9 we find Paul defending himself from accusations made from within, the very group of people he led to the Lord, how hurtful that must have been. To have those whom you love assume the worst about you and without regard for the whole truth they broadcast their accusations to others so that they might win support. What’s worse were those who knew better choosing sides with the accusers, believing their half-truths and doing so after only hearing one side of the story. Neither they nor the accusers had the right to appoint themselves as judge or jury but they did and they fed off of one another’s contempt and prejudice but Paul knew who was behind all of this and was therefore able to see past the thin disguise. Paul was a true warrior of the faith filled with a righteous indignation, fleshing out what he believed and yet elsewhere we see his tender, sensitive heart for God and God’s people.
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