God where are you?

How is it that we do all these things for God yet He seems so distant at times? We go to church, we volunteer to help the needy, we work hard for our employer, and we try to show our children right from wrong but do we diligently seek out God’s heart for us? Are we too busy to stop and listen or even ask for direction when decisions stand in front of us? Do we make a habit out of deciding for ourselves or do we really understand the impact of placing God first?

If you are like me we all too often take the easy road because, well it’s easy. You don’t have to consider anyone else or even the impact your decisions have on your own life and living this way continues from day to day as you make a habit out of taking the easy road but when you hit rocky ground you call out to God for His help and surprise – you can’t hear His voice. We see Paul instructing the Corinthians (2 Corinthians chp.13) and giving them a stern warning for living this way. He also gives them the opportunity to make the necessary corrections before he arrives so he wouldn’t have to be tough on them, as they know from previous teaching right from wrong. However, we can see into Paul’s heart for the Corinthians as he provides the secret for getting back on the right track.

(2Co 13:11 NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

This is nothing new to the church but instead a simple reminder of who they are to be and it applies to us today. If we do these things Paul instructed the Corinthians to do then when we call out to God for His help we won’t be left wondering where He is.

(Psa 18:2-3 NLT) The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and He saved me from my enemies.

(Psa 18:30 NLT) God's way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.

If I love you more...

(2 Corinthians 12:15 MSG) I'd be most happy to empty my pockets, even mortgage my life, for your good. So how does it happen that the more I love you, the less I'm loved?

Have you ever given of yourself for the good of someone else only to be taken for granted? I have and it hurts and if I am completely honest my first reaction is to pull back to keep from being hurt anymore but looking at Paul’s example it becomes clear that advice is of the flesh, not the spirit. Still to love a person like this requires that you yourself are healthy and strong mentally, emotionally, and spiritually because you will be tested and if you are not careful you will enable the very things in that person that causes you the most pain and the more you continue offering what you believe to be love the more pain they give in return and as Paul shows us even offering Christ-centered love is not a guarantee you will be loved in return. If that be the case then what is the answer? Know the source of this love you offer, is it from you or is from Christ living in you?

What does healthy love look like? Love is tough sometimes; there will be situations when it requires that you stop chasing and allow that person to make their own choice, even if it is wrong. Did the father stop the prodigal son from leaving? If he had he would have saved the son much pain and his inheritance would not have been squandered on the foolish but what is not immediately apparent is that these things were the cost of the lesson the son had to learn and no amount of talking from the father could have taken the place of this lesson for the son. Other times love will require that you sacrifice your own feelings for the good of another, as we see Paul do time and time again. Still there are other times, other situations, other people where love requires boundaries. Some are bent on tearing down what the Lord would build up and you will know these people by the leading of God’s Holy Spirit within you. Paul’s tone may suggest he dealt with this type of person as well when he refers to the “super-apostles” who apparently amazed the people with signs and wonders but did so at a cost to the people, possibly even for their own benefit. I have known people like this as well. They make a great first impression but the more you get to know them the more it cost you until you realize the best thing to do is set boundaries and move on.

Healthy living and giving of yourself so that you inspire others to be healthy requires great discipline and I know of no better example than what the Bible provides. Aside from salvation you can stumble your way through life, haphazardly and things may turn out okay but you will have spent much time and resources on the mediocre only to fall far short of the purpose that has been placed on you and within you but to be a life-long student of the Lord Jesus Christ and to be obedient as He guides is where it’s at.

(Psalms 17:5-6 NLT) My steps have stayed on Your path; I have not wavered from following You. I am praying to You because I know You will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.

What drives you?

Paul was not shy about what drove him. He labored so that the Corinthians might know Christ Jesus and because of his concern for them his spirit was sensitive to things they were susceptible to. He not only led them to Christ but continued to watch over them as they grew in spirit. Like sheep we are, at times, easily led astray thinking we know the way, thinking we understand what this walk of faith is all about but unless we are rooted deeply in the Word of God then our eyes will deceive us.

Do you think Eve’s intentions were evil when she believed the serpent? Wasn’t she told she would be like God, knowing good and evil? Because of her lack of spiritual understanding she fell victim to the serpent’s lies and like Eve we fall prey to the promises of the world, as our flesh is enticed so our soul becomes enslaved. However, if we knew better the Word of God we would be able to combat the devil and the lies that come out of his mouth. This is why pastors lead congregations and parents are over children. It is not that Paul was better than the Corinthians but that God placed him there to be a spiritual guide so they might learn and grow, in the light. Likewise, people today are busy with their lives and do not always understand the importance of God’s leading – they have not yet come to the place of desperation for God and therefore have not been awakened to the depths of His love and purpose for them.

Israel demanded of Samuel a king to lead them (1 Samuel 8). Until then God led his people through prophets but Israel wanted a king like other nations and God gave them what they wanted but they lost something in the process, thankfully God is great in mercy and kindness.

(1 Samuel 8:6-9 TNIV) But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights."

And so it is today… So many depend on someone else to lead them so they might continue with the cares of their own lives and when they do that they give up something in return but God understands us better than we understand ourselves and He loves us. In terms of the parent and child there is an age of innocence where the parent cares for the child until he/she can make their own decisions. Once they are adults they are able to make up their own minds about following God’s leading or not and how much compromise they are willing to accept but today I’m talking about what drives the parent, the pastor, the spiritual elders. Paul said he does what he does because of love for those he leads and he is proud to present them to Christ Jesus pure and spotless as they remain in Christ and like a mother bear protecting her cubs Paul would fight to keep them on the straight and narrow until such a time they can see the path before them with their own eyes.

For those of us God has placed in the roll of leadership, whether parent, volunteer at church, pastor, friend, co-worker what is driving us? Have we set the cruise control and allowed those under our watch to be led astray or are we actively pursuing God’s will for our lives and the lives of those around us? Are you investing in others? Are you praying for them so they may learn to surrender to the authority of Christ as you lead the way in action? If God has truly given you this job to do then you must also be aware that one day you will stand before Him as He declares the type of work you have done.

In Jesus’ parable of the faithful and the evil servants he said this of the two, (Matthew 25:29 TNIV) For those who have will be given more, and they will have an abundance. As for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

Boldness requires confidence

(2 Corinthians 10:10 TNIV) For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."

If your confidence is in yourself then your boldness does not fade but if your confidence is in the Lord then you must learn how to listen, I mean really listen and that is hard to do when your mouth is open. While I do believe it is possible to grow in the Lord to the point that He empowers you and gives you a holy boldness so often that it becomes descriptive of who you are but most boldness I see today is from people’s abilities and their dependence on those abilities to take them where they want to go. Unfortunately, that takes them away from the place where the Lord’s voice is most easily heard, not to it.

As I become more mature I find myself striving to remain, throughout the day, the person I am in the morning. For in the morning I hear the Lord’s voice and I feel His presence as I read and study His Word and I share with Him my concerns with Him but as the day goes on I begin picking up weights and putting them in my satchel as I throw it over my shoulder. These weights of responsibility and concerns come at such a pace I rarely have time to ask my Lord what He thinks or listen for His reply. Sometimes so much so that my ability to hear becomes muffled, I imagine much like the sight of the blind man whom Jesus was healing and he told Jesus that men appear as trees walking around (Mark 8:24). So that’s when I slow down to listen closer. From the outside looking in I appear quiet and at times it must come across as lacking confidence and partly I do lack confidence, in my own abilities. That’s when I stop to listen and realize I can no longer hear God speaking. Usually at noon I walk and pray so that I will once again be mindful of Him throughout the remainder of the day but like Paul I am driven by something deep inside that many do not understand and if the Lord provides the opportunity for me to speak then I also know that He will also give me the boldness to speak it. So the things Paul speaks about in chapter ten are somewhat familiar and it blesses me as it reminds me I am not alone.

(Psalms 16:1-2 MSG) A David song. Keep me safe, O God, I've run for dear life to you. I say to GOD, "Be my Lord!" Without you, nothing makes sense.

(Psalms 16:11 MSG) Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way.

Bragging with caution

Have you ever bragged on someone before they did the act based on their desire to do what is right? How did it turn out? Did you talk to them ahead of time to let them know a test was coming and people were watching to see what they would do? Did they arise to the occasion or did they stumble? You might be surprised, it happens more often than you would think. This is what Paul has done here concerning the Corinthians.

(2 Corinthians 9:2 TNIV) For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.

It would almost seem that faith in the other person is required to do such a thing or could it be Paul caught a glimpse of what God was doing and therefore saw this test for the Corinthians as a minor obstacle because God was behind it all. If that were the case then the test was not only for the Corinthians but for Paul as well. The problem is introduced when the bragging comes from human pride, this never turns out well. It may not show up as a problem at first but the trap has been set and the fall will come. This I know for one reason only, in this case your eyes have been taken off of what God is doing and your dependence is no longer on the heavenly but the earthly.

(Proverbs 16:18 TNIV) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

In all of life’s issues and questions Jesus is consistently the way through. When facing a problem drawing closer to Jesus is the answer. What was the difference in Paul’s boasting and the boasting of an unbeliever? Motivation. Notice I didn’t say because Paul was a Christian or a follower of Christ because even a Christian who loves God the eyes of that person can all too easily be taken off of God and put back on the flesh. It requires daily training and practice crucifying the flesh and a solid prayer life to keep our motivation in check but the reward is freedom in the spirit. Things that before led to difficulties and hardship now open the door through faith in Jesus to new possibilities but it becomes ever more vital that you step where and when the Holy Spirit says to, for we still cannot know the things of the spirit unless we allow God to open our spiritual eyes and ears for the purpose of His glory (read what happened to Peter in Acts chapter 10).

(Psalms 15:1-5 TNIV) A psalm of David. LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy mountain? Those whose walk is blameless, who do what is righteous, who speak the truth from their hearts; who have no slander on their tongues, who do their neighbors no wrong, who cast no slur on others; who despise those whose ways are vile but honor whoever fears the LORD; who keep their oaths even when it hurts; who lend money to the poor without interest and do not accept bribes against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

That there might be equility

(2 Corinthians 8:11-15 TNIV) Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."

Paul spoke to the Corinthians about giving of themselves, for they had an abundance but the Mecedonian churches gave beyond the giving of the Corinthians, even though they had very little. For their generosity tested the Corinthians and Paul's challenge called them to meet the test.

I don’t know about the Corinthians Paul spoke to but I do know there are areas where I have plenty and sometimes I feel almost like I’m being used because of this gift or ability. That’s right giving doesn’t always involve money, we all too often excuse ourselves from giving when finances are tight, affectively shutting our eyes to what the Lord has called us to do. It is then we must look at our situation objectively and be willing to give away what the Lord has provided. What about skills or talents at which you excel and others are in need of to complete the task the Lord has laid on their hearts? Do you think God gave them that desire so they could fulfill it on their own? Remember if God calls you to do something is it not beyond your own abilities, does it not required faith, action, and recruitment of others? Then why can’t you see God’s call on others? Are you good with computers? Do you know someone who needs your help? How willing are you to help without complaint? Do you make yourself available or do you hide when they come looking? What about spiritual matters, have you felt hard-pressed as of late? Have you not felt God walk with you through this trial, has He not revealed secrets to your spirit? Then use that to help the brother you see struggling or your sister that needs encouragement, be willing for God to use you to do something big in the life of another. “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.”

King David spoke of those who were selfish, those who did evil, those who did not give of themselves… and their responsibility to those with less and he reminds us of the Father’s love.

(Psalms 14:6 NIrV) You who do evil make it hard for poor people to do what they plan to do. But the LORD is their place of safety.

(Psalms 14:6 MSG) Do you think you can mess with the dreams of the poor? You can't, for God makes their dreams come true.

Is Hell real?

I recently heard a recording scientists in Siberia made at the bottom of a hole they drilled 14.4 kilometers into the earth, it happened in the late 1980’s and the sound was frightening even today. Years later, for the most part it has been played down as a hoax or explained away by scientific reasoning, whether it was a made up story or facts that led to someone’s wild imagination or a cover up by someone or some government or man’s exploration knocking on the door of eternity, I’m not sure. Even those who made an honest attempt to track the source down could not verify whether it was true or not because the people with whom it originated seems to be confused or unwilling to tell what really happened but strangely enough there are some facts that remain constant and even unrelated stories of other drillings into to the earth’s crust confirms certain facts, such as the intense heat at great depths.

What’s even stranger to me is that so many people have either argued that it is real or that it is not, while all along God’s Word says Hell is indeed a real place, as if to disregard what God has said on the subject. Do I believe scientist in Siberia drilled a nine mile hole into the earth; hit a cavity that released intense heat upwards of 2,000 degrees F. then lowered a special microphone developed to listen to the earth’s plates move but instead heard voices screaming in torment for nineteen seconds before it burned up? I’m not sure but I do believe God’s Word is trustworthy and I know that Jesus tells of a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Some say God cannot condemn someone to such a place or if He did it couldn’t be forever but what if we chose to go there? You say that is ridiculous but do you also believe Pharaoh made the choices that brought about plagues on his kingdom or do you believe God did it? How many chances did Pharaoh have to do what was right? In the end believing something isn’t true doesn’t make it go away, no shutting our eyes while walking only causes the fall. There are certain things God cannot do, such as take back the freewill He gave mankind, it was by this freewill that Adam and Eve were forced out of the garden, never to return, because of choices they made. In spite of all God has done to keep us if we willingly decide to live our lives apart from the laws He has set in motion then the consequences we face are because of our own choosing and believing with every fiber within us God would not send us there is a lie from an enemy already bound for this place. By mixing part truth he confuses and confounds people because of the hatred he has for God, knowing God loves people. God will have the final word, at the final judgment but it is the choices we make that determine our fate before we ever stand before Him and once this body dies our ability to choose will be no more. It is ours to own, whether we live according to the law He has given, that is what decides where we spend eternity.