Fun Size Faith

“So the Lord said, ‘If you have faith as a mustard see, you can say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.”

Luke 17:6

                We live in a supersize society. Everything is better the bigger you get it – your television, the number of cars you own, your house, your soda, even your sneakers! By the way, what is up with those big ugly sneakers that make your feet look twice the size they actually are? Why would anyone pay good money to make their feet look bigger? Usually that’s something I want to downsize on but, that is not the point of this post. J

                Personally, I’m really glad that God’s economy is different from the world’s. There’s not a whole lot that big about me. Height, bank account, car, personality, it’s all kind of on the small size.  For those of us under 5’3” we actually call it “fun size.” While it may not be cool in the world’s eyes, in God’s eyes, fun-size could be just right.

                In Revelation 3:7-8, Jesus is speaking to the church in Philadelphia (not Pennsylvania) and He says,

“These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. See I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

                The Lord didn’t have many good things to say about the 7 churches in Revelation. All but 2 of them received a rebuke and a warning. Philly and Symrna received an exhortation. And what was the faithful churches claim to fame? They had a lot of strength? No, a little strength and a steadfast heart. Jesus said faith as big as a mustard seed could move mountains and pull up trees. . The kingdom of heaven is like a child, not a scholar. David defeated a giant with a slingshot and stone. 5000+ people were fed with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. A small band of 300 ill-equipped Israelites whooped a whole army of Midian solders. Our resources don’t necessarily need to be directly proportional to the need, or to the task at hand.

                Now that’s not to say that we should settle for giving less than our best. He doesn’t deserve inferior fruit, leftover time, doubt, or scraps. But the fact is, sometimes all I have is a little strength, a mustard seed of faith and a few stones. God says, “OK, I’ll meet you there. I don’t need you anyway; I want you. I’m choosing to use you, so I’ll take what you have and use it for My glory and to magnify My name.”

“But God has chosen the foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of this world to put to shame the things that are mighty; and the base things of this world, and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him your are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption – that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 1:27-31

                God delights in using the small, unexpected things of the world to get His work done. Not only does it plunge His people into deeper relationship with Him, but it points the world to Him. I still pray that God would increase my faith. I don’t want to settle for mustard seed faith or just a little strength. But what a comfort to know that when that’s all I have, God doesn’t turn me away and tell me to come back later when I have something better to offer Him. Even if it’s tiny, when offered with a pure and humble heart, He will take it and use it for His glory. In the process, I get to experience Him more, and know His faithfulness.

When we have a work to do
And the task ahead seems bigger than you
That's when He steps in
When you know in your heart that God's command
Takes more than can be done by man
That's when He steps in

He sees you at the point of your need
He sees you at the point of crossing your Red Sea
In the moment you call
When you've given your all
He steps in, He steps in

What's that you have in your hand
I can use it, if you're willing to lose it
Take the little you have and make it grand
I am El Shaddai and I'll more than supply your need

When all you have is oil in a jar
That's a reflection of where you are
That's when He steps in
A little boy's lunch of fish and bread
Is all you have for the need ahead
That's when He steps in

Let Him take it and bless it and
Break it and give it
He'll multiply it in the moment you live it
And in the moment you call
When you've given your all
He steps in, He steps in

(Alvin Slaughter, What's That You Have In Your Hand)

Application: I will record all of the things God teaches me today that my faith might be increased.

Any Whatever

“[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

1 Corinthians13:7

                There is a common misconception that Christianity is merely another man-made religion, construed in the imaginations of feeble minded people in order to make them feel better about themselves. Despite this misnomer, I personally attest to a different opinion. Honestly, if I made up my own religion, I would leave a number of verses out. Some of them just down-right scare me. This is one of them.

                “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Think it sounds innocent? Think again. Do you have any conception of the implications of this verse? See if you can catch the common thread here: bears ALL things, believes ALL things, hopes ALL things, endures ALL things. Did you catch it? ALL. Do you have any idea what that means? The definition I found in the dictionary made me both laugh and shudder at the same time; it defined it as “any whatever.” What a great definition. What a frightening perspective.

                For myself, I am a cynical human being. I don’t like to be caught off guard or unprepared. I keep my expectations, because the moment you allow them to rise above the scum of the earth you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. It is not in my nature to have a generous attitude towards ‘any whatevers.’ Think so? God says. Think again.

“If any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

                God knows what my nature is better than I do. All I see is the black, unrefined piece of coal; He sees the diamond underneath. I have found that sometimes the Lord changes who I am in general to make me more like Him specifically. It’s not so much that He changes my personality but that He forges character within me, enabling me to be and do all that He is calling me to. As that character is created through joy and pain, trials and ease, I find that God who works all things together for good. The only hope that I have of demonstrating true love is by the power of the Holy Spirit. On my own strength, there is on possible way that I can bear, believe, hope or endure any whatevers. Without Jesus I can do nothing (John 15:5) but with Jesus I can do anything (Phil. 4:13)

               

I will give you a new heart and a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues; and you will keep my judgments and do them.”

Ezekial 36:26-37

Application: Today I will not allow anything cynical to come out of my mouth.

Rejoice in Truth

“[Love] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth.”

1 Corinthians13:6

                Have you ever met a person whose future seems so clear to you that one would think it’s tattooed on their forehead? I met one such person. He was  one of the most privileged, laziest people I’ve ever had the misfortune of being acquainted with. If you’re from a small town, like I am, you are probably at least mildly aware of what small town politics look like. In Hyde Park, we have the Rte. 9 sdie of town, which is typically the ritzy, pampered, rich-wanna-be’s. He was certainly from that side of town. I, on the other hand, am from the. . .let’s just be real – the white trash side of town. This pathetic excuse for a human being only ever found joy in being drunk or getting high. He lived for the weekends, although I’m not sure why it mattered. He was known to go to work both drunk and high. How do I know? Because I worked with him.

                One day, not long after he had quit, someone came up to me waving the local newspaper in my face. Guess who was arrested this week for fleeing the police and possession of illegal drugs? You guessed it, the Darling of Cranberry’s himself. I felt overrun with two emotions. The first was an extreme sadness. I wasn’t surprised in the least. In fact, I had kind of expected it. Here was a young man with no motivation, no purpose, no vision and no hope. It saddened me that I could not bring myself to be shocked. I couldn’t rejoice in my being right. The other emotion was bewilderment at the person who conveyed this news to me. They were, dare I say, gleeful? Anyone who knew this kid knew that he was heading down this path, and knew that he didn’t have the character to pick himself up out of this situation and turn his life around, or the brains to call out to God for grace and mercy. He would continue to spiral downward until he hit rock bottom, unless of course, intervention from another Source came first. But how could someone actually enjoy watching the first step of his demise? How could they take pleasure in the unraveling of another life. Maybe that was too close to home for me, but I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it.

                Jonah is the classic example of how not to respond to other’s people sin. God told him to go to Nineveh and preach a message of repentance to a nation that was so entrenched in their sin that they could not distinguish their right from their left. When Jonah eventually got to Nineveh and preached this was their reaction:

“So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles saying,

Let neither man nor beast, herd not flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered in sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them and He did not do it.”

                Wow! Great story, right? Not in Jonah’s eyes. “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.” He was so angry, in fact, that he thought it would be better for him to be dead than to be alive. He did not rejoice in truth; he rejoiced in iniquity. Believing that their sin would bring judgment on them brought him more joy than knowing that their repentance would bring forgiveness.

                I confess, while I couldn’t hold this opinion of Matt, I have held the same view of other people. But God would desire for me to have the same heart of compassion for His creation that He has, to have the same disgust of sin that He has, and to have the same delight in truth that He has.

Application: Today I will pray for someone that I have a hard time praying for. Namely, the President.

It's All in Your Mind

“[Love] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.”

1 Corinthians 13:5

                Love is something that penetrates to the deepest part of our being, where no one can see but God alone, even to the very thoughts of our minds. God is not impressed with theatrical demonstrations of love and charity if the motivation of our hearts is misplaced.

                I worked in customer service for years; I know how to put on a happy face. Just the thought of certain people still makes me cringe. They’d walk in the door and I’d turn my back to them, facing my co-workers, moan in pain, turn around and with a big smile say, “Hey, how are doing? Isn’t it a beautiful day? So, what I can I do for you?” They never knew that their mere presence made me gag. But God knew. He saw the confines of my heart, and it certainly wasn’t overflowing with love.

                In Psalm 51, David’s prayer of repentance after he was confronted on his sin with Bathsheba, he says, “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts.” All the people of Israel saw was their beloved, righteous king. God saw the sin and deception that were within King David’s heart. Throughout the Old Testament God continually tells Israel that He cannot bear their sacrifices, feasts, fasts, and holy day days when their hearts are far from Him. Isaiah 1 is a particularly poignant chapter. But it doesn’t end in the Old Testament. Jesus was vitriolic when He lambasted the Pharisees for their pseudo-religiosity. But perhaps the one most chilling to me is this:

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place, unless you repent.”

Revelation 2:2-5

                Despite their good works and apparent good moral character they had left their first love. Like the church of Sardis, they had a name that they were alive but were really dead. God cannot fix the interior structure of the building if the artificial façade is not taken out of the way first.

“Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer.”

Psalm 19:12-14

Application: Today I will give out 3 sincere compliments.

Love is Not About Me

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up.”

2 Corinthians 13:4

                Oh but don’t we live in an ego-centric society? I want, I feel, I neeeeeed!!!! With an ever incessant obsession on the self, we have been taught to trample anyone or anything that stands between us and gratification, even if it’s only to satisfy a passing whim.

                What topic are people most eager to discuss? Themselves, of course! Though few would admit it, you can generally tell by the glazes over look in their eyes that  they’re really only waiting for your mouth to stop moving so that they can talk about something truly important – themselves. Have you ever had a “conversation” with someone who cannot stop talking about themselves? They apologize and then ask you a question... about themselves? You know, that age old question, “Well, enough about me. What do you think about my hair?”

                But is that the attitude believers are suppose to have? In John 15, Christ exhorts His disciples:

“This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

And 1 Corinthians 13 gives a pretty definitive visual of what real love looks like, and it’s not self-absorbed. It isn’t concerned with how long you take (suffers long), what you have (envy) or what you think of it (parade itself). Love’s primary focus is on others, first towards God and then towards others. As a believer, my example comes from Christ, who willingly laid down His life for the sheep. My law for living comes from the very Giver of life. And the law is this:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

Application: Today I will have at least one conversation and practice “being with” that person, not being concerned about myself but focusing on them.

Fruit that Lasts

“I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser.”

John 15:1

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming.’ And beings to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 24:45-51

                What does this have to do with the vine and the vinedresser? The evil servant believes that his master is not coming back. So he takes on the mantle of authority and behaves wickedly and brutally towards his fellow servants. He honestly thinks that his authority is his own. But the righteous servant walks in holiness, expecting, even looking forward to the day when his master returns.

                Can’t the branch be the same way, thinking that it can be self-sufficient and do everything on its own strength, without the intervention of the vine? But it can’t. I mean, I can’t. I am the branch, the wild olive branch that has been graffed into the true vine. Apart from the vine, all I am is. . .well, a wild olive branch. Jesus says, I am the vine. Your identity, your worth, your status and your fruit, it’s all wrapped up in Me. Who I am and ever hope to be is completely dependant on my position in Jesus Christ. I may have noble aspirations but they can never be realized apart from the vine. I may desire to be virtuous or do good but without the Lord, I am incapable of overcoming my flesh and attaining that which I desire. I may be able to fool people with a masquerade of who I want them to believe I am; I may be able to perform humanitarian works. And I may do it in Jesus name. But if it is done apart from Him, the fruit won’t last. And that’s what it’s all about, right? Lasting fruit?

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. IF anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

                Wood, hay and stubble can make a building, but when it’s tested with fire, it’s gonna burn. The work won’t last.  A house made of sand may look like a castle but it’s no match for the winds of a hurricane or the tidal waves of a monsoon. But if the Rock is Christ and the work is of the Spirit, if the source of life is the true vine, I will stand strong and bear fruit to eternal life.

Application: Today I will spend 15 minutes alone, just me and the Lord, knowing that He is my source.

Transforming Love

“And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.”

John 8:35

                One word: Transformation. A thorough or dramatic change from one form to another. Who is better at this than God? He has the ability to transform nothing into, well, everything! And to think that He did it all with just His word!

                Yesterday I sat on a frozen lake and looked up at mountains covered in snow and trees. I watched the moving clouds casting shadows on the landscape while the sun played peek-a-boo through the low hanging mist. It was breath-taking. The same God who made the mountains out of nothing also made the intricacy and complexity of the human brain. Weighing in at only 3 pounds, it contains 100 billion  neurons and is capable of holding enough information to fill 20 million volumes of books! And that only scratches the surface.

                But the greatest, most radical work of transformation that God accomplishes is of a spiritual nature: sinner to saint, slave to son, servant to friend.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old thins have passed away; behold all things have become new.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

                Only the God who spoke the world into existence could transform a heart as dead and darkened as mine, into something alive and beautiful. He didn’t just renovate or remodel. He did something completely new and different. It was a total transformation from caterpillar to butterfly.

                I have been and continue to be the recipient of an unbelievable amount of grace. How can I ever express the gratitude and wonder of what the Lord has done in me? The only thing I can think of is my life, and that is no where near enough.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”

1 Peter 2:9-10

Application: Today I will spend ½ hour praising God for His transforming work in my life.

Say It Like It Is

“Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”

John 8:34

                Sometimes it seems that the western church tries to portray Christ as some kind of surfer-dude, hippy, all about love type of guy. He came to teach us all how to get along, right? Don’t misunderstand me, Jesus did teach us to do unto others as you would have them do to you. I believe that He is love personified, grace in human flesh and mercy manifested. But at the same time, Jesus never pussy-footed around; He called sin sin and hypocrisy hypocrisy whenever and wherever He saw it.  He spoke the truth, and often, that didn’t allow them to get away with anything.  Generally Jesus only had this attitude with the religious leaders of His day. They thought they had it all together, the very zenith of holiness. But Christ saw it in a totally different way. He saw what was in their hearts and their hearts were filled with pride, self-love and a desire for power.

                They didn’t care about the poor, or communion with God or fasting. They wanted glory from men. The law, which they professed to hold in such high esteem, they manipulated for their own benefit, to condemn those who couldn’t possibly jive to their twisted version of the commandments, and to justify the corruptness of their own hearts. (2 Peter 2:19)

                The fact is, their religiousity was a game, an empty façade that had no depth. They honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from Him. I like the way Jesus put it best:

                “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-washed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleaness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 25:27-28)

An even more poignant passage is in the Old Testament book of Isaiah:

                “Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies – I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and you appointed feasts My soul hates; they trouble Me and I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you. Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.”

                God was not impressed with their phony platitudes of piety. He wasn’t interested in dead rituals. He didn’t care about their sacred traditions. All of it was empty, half-hearted and selfish. Did they really believe that God’s heart would be fooled by these things? Apparently so. Not only did the nation of Israel and the Pharisees but sometimes, I think God can be moved by my insincerity too. Whether it is an ego-centric mentality, a lazy attitude or just plain old apathy, I have been known to be less than the person I should be. At least, God knew that I was not being who He has called me to be. And He has no problem telling me the same thing He told Israel – His soul abhors my religious games and He is repulsed by my hypocrisy.

                But was much as He hates it, He wants even more to bring me to repentance and authenticity. He wants for my works to be a natural overflow of a genuine relationship with Him. In Isaiah 1, God gives His remedy for recovery:

                “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Rebuke the oppressor. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widows. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as white as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel you shall be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

                Pretty cut and dry? Simple? Concise? To the point? It’s meant to be. He just calls it like it is.

Real Vs. Illusion

"They answered Him, 'We are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, You will be made free?"

John 8:33

Isn't is incredible the amount of delusion we are willing to live under when we accept the physical as being the real deal, and the spiritual merely as a shadow. Actually, the Scriptures declare the opposite to be true. In 2 Corinthians 4:18 it says

"We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal."

The things that I cannot see with my eyes but, by faith know are real and true, those are the things that will last. Those are the things that matter.

Jesus said some hard things in John 6. A great crowd had followed Jesus for all the wrong reasons. It was the same crowd that Jesus had just fed with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. They didn't believe in Jesus because He was Messiah; they only wanted more food. In the words of St. John in Exile, who could blame them? Best bread they'd ever eaten! :) But Jesus knew their hearts and called them out on it:

"Do not labor for food which perishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life. . .Most assuredly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. . .I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never thirst. For My flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed."

Wait, what??? Are we literally suppose to eat His flesh and drink His blood? Hold on, let's not run away with ourselves. These are some pretty deep theological waters we're stepping into, and I'd prefer to leave that for those more smarter than I, but I can emphatically say, No, we're not supposed to literally eat Christ's flesh and drink His blood. What I believe He's saying is that physical food and drink is a shadow, a symbol, a means by which we can understand what he is to us. We all know that our bodies require food and water to sustain themselves. But even with food and water, our bodies will eventually die. In the same way, we need Jesus to sustain our spirits, only with Jesus, we will never die. That which is eternal is real; that which is passing is a shadow.

The Jews in John 8 could not understand that Jesus was speaking to them of spiritual freedom, not physical. And they were so willing to accept what is seen, that they were selling themselves short of all that God desired for them. In 1 Corinthians 7:22, Paul says, "For He who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave."

There will always be some kind of external force that will alter the "freed" condition of this temporary life on earth, filtered of course through the sovereignty of God. Finances will get depleted, self esteem will become damaged, spouses will disappoint, children will get sick, jobs will be lost, reputations will become marred, health will fail and so on and so forth. But the freedom from bondage that Christ offers, that will never, ever change and it will never, ever fail. May we not become like the church of Laodicea who was so caught up in the physical world that they said of themselves, "I am rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing" but did not realize that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.

Application: Today I will memorize Psalm 1.

The Truth of The Matter

　

　

　

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

John 8:32

This morning I spent 40 minutes starring blankly at this verse, wondering what in the world the Lord was trying to tell me. Ever get that gut feeling that the answer to your question is right in front of your face but you're just not seeing it? Yup, that was me. I almost wrote an intellectual monologue on truth. But that didn't feel right. It almost turned into an emotional expose on freedom. But I knew that wasn't it either. I am getting pretty fed up with trying to impose my will on the Scriptures. So I walked away.

It wasn't until I was sitting in class this morning that it finally hit me. Now hang with me, folks, because I'm not sure my brain was functioning at peak performance today, but it rarely does. Anyway, Peter goes to Cornelius's house, not knowing what to expect. The Spirit just told him to go, doubting nothing. He gets there, opens his mouth and starts preaching Jesus to the people. The Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles. I can just imagine the scene, Peter standing there watching all of this unfold before his eyes, the grace of God poured out on uncircumcised Gentiles. . .was he surprised? Shocked? Appalled? I don't know. But as he retells the story to the Jewish believers he says, "Then I remembered the word of the Lord. . ." Jump down to verse 17, "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

Oh oh oh! Wait a minute. So Pete knew the word of the Lord and therefore he was able to properly interpret and respond to the situation laid before him. Knowledge of the word brought about the response. Here's where it gets a little messy, but the way I see it when I know the truth (and by the way, that's the word) it will determine my response to life.

See knowledge isn't just about intellect. It's also gained by experience. In fact, the Greek word in this verse for "know" carries with it the connotation of intimacy. If I don't spend time with, say, Tina, I may be able to observe things about her. As a third party, I can repeat here say as to her character but I will never actually know her. The same is true of the Scripture. If I don't abide in it, become familiar with it, act in accordance with it, carry it with me or experience it, I will never truly know it. And it is by the Truth contained in that Book that I am made free. What is that truth? The truth of who God is, who I am, the condition I find myself in and the unfathomable grace of God. The truth that I am no longer bound by the penalty or power of sin; Christ has defeated that. The truth that this world is not my home, and one day Jesus will come back and then there will be joy unspeakable and full of glory. That's the truth. But I don't have to know it. If I chose not to know it, I will be bound forever by lies and deception, most of which are of my own creation. The choice is mine to make.

When Paul wrote to the church of Galatia, he rebuked them for not knowing the truth: "O foolish Galations, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified?" They failed to act in accordance with the truth and became bound again to the law, which Christ came to fulfill and finish. That why Paul exhorts them in chapter 5 to "standfast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made you free, and do not be entangled again to a yoke of bondage." Know the truth, guys, 'cause the truth is gonna make you free!

I have been dragging a lot of baggage with me through my Christianity and the Lord had been so good to set me free from it. As I become accustom to walking without the weight of my burdens and being under the easy yoke of Christ, I can hear the beckoning of my chains calling me back. Today I will make the choice to abide in Jesus, who is the Word, and memorize Galations 5:1.

Jesus Is Lord

"Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit."

1 Corinthians 12:3

My favorite children's book, My Heart Christ's Home, depicts the scenario of Jesus coming to visit a little boy's house. I don't remember what his name is but we'll call him Johnny. Every little boy in such books is named Johnny, right? Anyway, at first Johnny is super excited to have Jesus with him. He can't wait to show Jesus his room, and his favorite toys, and the big willow tree down by the stream. But as the story progresses, Johnny realizes that Jesus isn't interested in being a visitor; He wants to take up residence at Johnny's house. Jesus wants to be with Johnny all the time. And Johnny becomes just a little bit apprehensive.


How often have I come to that same point? In modern Christendom we can use the term "Lord" so flippantly. We don't even realize what it means anymore. It means master, owner, having complete and absolute authority. Christ will not be compartmentalized or manipulated. If He is Lord, He is Lord of all. Otherwise, He's not Lord. Jesus isn't not interested in co-signing a loan on my life. He wants everything.

And that will likely get a little uncomfortable at times. He will open every window and unlock every door. And as the light of truth floods in, He will expose all that is not of God. Jesus will intrude on every area of my life that I don't necessarily want changed, renovated or otherwise tampered with. But that's OK. He kills with kindness, unless I'm stupid enough to fight Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. As Lord He will put me through the fire. But when I come out, I'll look a lot more like Him. May I not get to the end of my race and say to Him, "Lord, Lord," and hear Him respond, "How can you say that? I never knew you?"

The Value of One Soul

"Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Mark 8:37

Funny how little we value our souls, how cheaply we will sell them, how thoughtlessly we throw them away. The most frightening thing I"ve ever heard was a young student at one of my local colleges admit to me that, while he believed in an eternal, conscious heaven and hell and that he deserved to go to hell, and that the good news of Jesus was indeed good news, he was having too much fun living life his way. Yes, I may be right but he didn't care.


Really? Really?! And just what about your life is so good that you cannot, or will not, give it up? Promiscuous behavior? Drugs? Alcohol? Addiction? Hangovers, STDs, addiction, destruction, broken relationships, broken trust, broken lives. . .yeah, that sounds worth selling your soul for. It just gets better and better the farther we go. But maybe it's something a little less conspicuous and a little more insidious. Climbing the corporate ladder, an education, an advantageous marriage. . .Still, they seem to leave a little to be desired.

Christ died to save souls. God Himself left heaven, clothed Himself in humanity, allowed Himself to be mocked, spit on, whipped, slapped, and crucified by His own creation to save their souls. Christ exchanged His life for my soul. That is how valuable a soul is in God's eyes. The price is high and Christ paid it.

Knowing that, how much more should I value and yearn for people who are exchanging their souls for the trash of this world? Their bodies will pass away but their souls will live on forever.

Application: I will share Jesus with one person today in town.

Gain The World

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?"

Mark 8:36

Gain the whole world, eh? Hmph. Sounds sort of appealing at a glance. I mean. the whole world is a pretty big place. That's a lot to gain. It'd be an achievement to speak of for sure. But what actually is the whole world? I'd kind of like to know what it is I'm committing to before I try to attain it.

Is it land? Does it speak of geographic location? All the lands in the world! Man, that would be something! Imagine owning everything from purple mountains majesty to the dry, windy Sahara desert to the frozen tundra of the North to the mystical and magical underworld of the ocean to every tulip bulb in Dutchland! We're talking the world here, folks. From one pole to the other, from Asia back around to Asia. That's impressive. . .Gee whiz, that sounds like a high maintenance attainment though, doesn't it? I'd need a lot of knowledge to keep up with all that. I mean, I love the outdoors as much as the next guy but I couldn't even grow tomatoes last year! Mountains are great but ecological systems are complicated. I don't know what the proper hunting seasons should be? Should I restrict its usage or make it open to everybody? Then there's the oceans. I have never been able to keep even a goldfish alive, let alone an entire world of sea creatures. And we haven't even seen the bottom of them! How would I clean the tank? And I hate bulb flowers; they take way too much planning. No, I don't think I want lands.

What about wealth? Money, riches, clothes, jewels, stuffs? I could spend as much money as I want, whenever I want on whatever I want. No more budgeting for clothes, rent, food, utilities, gas. Of course, some of it would go to help those less fortunate, which, I guess if I had all the wealth, would sort of take in everybody. Gosh, that would spread out pretty fast, huh? You know, shopping actually makes me kind of stressed out. I'm not fashionable at all so money would be useless there. And I kind of like the feeling of working hard to pay for the things I need/want. There is a certain amount of satisfaction that goes along with that. Besides, I've often heard that the presence of money is more disturbing than the lack of it. No, I don't think I want that either.

Well, what about fame? Notoriety? Position? I could be known wherever I go. The media would be begging me for interviews, I'd always have front row seats, anything I wanted, acceptance, approval, influence. I've never been one to be in the limelight though. I'm much better at being a backstage hand. It's actually what I enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy an accolade every now and then, but only if it's sincere. What would I be known for anyway? I don't really have any outstanding talents. You know, the media is a pretty fickle lot; they'd crucify me at the first sign of political incorrectness, and that's bound to happen fairly soon. Front row seats give me a neck ache. The approval of the populace is easily swayed by the fleeting whims of change. Fame could quickly turn into infamy. No, I think I'll pass on that one too.

Paul says, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I suffer the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:7-11)

Gain the whole world, eh? Hmph. Sounds sort of appealing at first glance. But nah, I'll pass. You can have the whole world. Just give me Jesus.

Application: Today I will hold this world a little looser in my thoughts and attitudes and when we do our next town run, I will buy the one thing that I need.

Persecution

"And when He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples, He said to them, 'If any man desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me."

Mark 8:34

Dimitry Shestokov is spending his 12th year in jail. Why? Because he is the pastor of a Christian church in Uzbekistan. Y Wo Ni and his family are struggling financially and dealing with major health issues due to lack of treatment in jail. Why? Because Y Wo Ni dared to stand up in defense of religious freedom in Vietnam. Evangelist Ambaye is in prison for the 8th time in 12 years. Why? Because he witnessed to someone at public bus stop in Eritrea. These believers, along with millions of others understand what it means to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus.


Persecution is a reality in most of the world. Owning a Bible could put a death warrant on one's head. Going to church may cause your house to be burned and your children to be taken away. Telling someone about Jesus can get you arrested and tortured. These believers know the cost of discipleship, and they are willing to pay it.

When I look at the devotion of my brothers and sisters in hostile and restricted nations, I am ashamed of the way that I, and other American Christians, pussy-foot around the issues of our day. 3000 children are brutally murdered every day in the name of choice, and we don't say a word. God is ripped out of our schools and government; we give in without a fight. Immorality is glorified in our entertainment and we pay to see it. Christ is defamed and mocked in all areas of our society and we shake our heads, heave a deep sigh and move on with our lives. What can we do? It's the sign of our times. Believers around the world daily put their lives on the line for the sake of the gospel and in America we're afraid to say 'Merry Christmas' for fear we'll offend someone and be labeled 'intolerant.' Where is our faith? Where is our devotion? Where is our passion?

Christianity is so much more than spewing out a spoon fed prayer while every body's head is down and eyes are closed. It's more than church on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening. It's daily dying to ourselves and living for Christ, regardless of the cost.

"Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:27) It is time the church stopped idolizing those suffering for the faith and started taking an example from them. We deny Christ by our silence and we mock Him by our complacency. Those who have gone before us know the true cost of following Jesus. It is time that we started counting that cost too.

Application: Today I will spend 15 minutes praying for my brothers and sisters around the world, for their protection and their boldness as witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Confession

"Now all who believed were together and had all things in common."

Acts 2:44

"In common." Belonging to several or, and I like this definition better, belonging to the generality, as distinct from what is peculiar to the few. I have to admit when I first read this verse, I thought I knew where I was going to take it. God had other plans.


When I read that the believers had all things in common, I automatically think. . .possessions. They shared the material blessings that God had given them. And that is undoubtedly true. But Paul says in Romans 15:1, "We then who are strong out to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves." Believers ought to bear one another's burdens. That responsibility falls on two parties: the bearer of the burden and the believers that surround them.

Humanity has the tendancy to lock itself into prisons of isolation, to chain itself with the fetters of self-inflicted lonliness and to build walls so high and thick no one would dare penetrate them. We cover our insecurities with stage make-up, refusing to expose our struggles and pains. We wear the cloak of an introvert so as never to have to reveal our talents, skills, or passions. In an attempt to shield ourselves from looking ridiculous, we stand stupidly in a corner, mouth closed, head down, hands in pockets. Our friends consist mostly of people we've never met who clicked a button on our FaceBook page. We go through life with headphones in our ears, cell phones that do everything but eat, sleep and breathe for us, drive around in our cars with tinted windows and are determined to interact as little as possible. Do I paint a vivid enough picture? Of course, I am speaking of myself.

But there's flip side to this coin as well. For the person who is not willing to open themsleves up to others, neither will others open up to them. Even if the desire to reach out is there, this imprisoned person can never reveal that because the very action of helping makes them vulnerable. Proverbs 18:24 says, "He who would have friends must himself be friendly." Perhaps this is a stretch but I would also say that he who would be friendly must himself have friends. Relationships are give and take. Love is different. Love does not require reciprocation. Christ demonstrated His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. He didn't wait for us to approach Him; He came to us first. The relationship does not begin until we have both received the gift of salvation and given our lives to Him. In terms of human relationships, I can have an emotional love towards people, but I cannot have relationship with them and as thus that love cannot be received by them because they don't realize that it's being offered. John asks the question, how can the love of God abide in anyone who is unwilling to all their actions to demonstrate that love. The answer is, it can't.

Although it isn't exactly a bastion of biblical truth, these lyrics do resignate:

If weakness is a wound that no one wants to speak of

Then cool is just how far we have to fall

And I am not immune, I only want to be loved

But I feel safe behind the firewall

And I lose my need to impress, if you want the truth

I need to confess

I'm not alright.

We all have burdens; we all have joys. We all have things that make us cry; we all have ways to make others laugh. Whether we believe it or not, to close one's self off from the world is both to hoard a gift and reject a gift. Will you het hurt at some point? Yeah, probably. But isn't it better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all?

Application: It is much harder for me to speak from my heart about my own battles. Today, I will open up by sharing this IBS with someone.

Unity

“Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”

Acts 2:43

                How many times have I read this and simply mashed ‘fear,’ ‘signs,’ and ‘wonders’ into one hodge-podge of indistinguishable mishmash? In my mind, I always assumed that the fear, or awe, came as a result of the signs and wonders. But that’s not how the verse reads. It actually begins with “Then fear,” indicating that the fear was a result of what happened in the proceeding verses.

                Jerusalem was filled with devout men, gathered from every nation under heaven, presumably for the feast of Pentacost. Suddenly a sound, like a mighty rushing wind is heard. A confusion ensues and in the midst of it, each man hears their own language being spoken by a small group of men in an unimportant house. More surprising though, was that these were not learned men, scholars or rabbis; they were Galilean carp catchers!

                Peter begins to open up the Scriptures and speak of Messiah’s death and resurrection for the sins of humanity. The hearts of men from every nation under heaven were cut and people began responding to the gospel. Three thousand people responded to the gospel. Coming back to the original verse, when these three thousand people from every nation under heaven began worshiping God and fellowshipping together, then awe came upon every soul.

                Today, the church is so divided by ethnic barriers, denominational names, music preferences, age-related differences, petty disputes and a million other non-salvific issues. What on earth would happen for heaven’s sake in the heart of the church and in the world if believers would take up the mantle of the first century Christians, laid aside their minor differences, put to death their pride and worshipped God in spirit and truth and fellowshipped as one, just as Christ and the Father are One? What would happen if I laid down my ego and selfishness, thought more of others than I do of myself and committed myself to the worship and work of God? Maybe the Spirit of God would begin pulsing through the veins of the church again and the world would marvel at the wondrous work of God alive in His people.

Application: Today I will pray for true unity and single mindedness in the Body of Christ, and what my part in that picture looks like.

Presentation is Everything

“And all the people saw him walking and praising God.”

Acts 3:9

 

          The human eye is truly an amazing creation. Capable of taking in more information in one second than man’s best super-computer could compute in a thousand years, it is one of the most delicate parts of the body. Charles Darwin himself admitted that “to suppose that the eye, with so many parts all working together. . .could have formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.” There is simply no way the eye could have evolved as a result of unintelligent mutations occurring on the non-formulated basis of random chance.

          Sight, being one of five senses, is one of the main ways that humans absorb and process information. Not only do we take in an enormous amount of data regarding our physical surroundings, but we also calculate emotions, opinions and impressions based primarily on what we see with our eyes. Seeing the plight of an under-privileged child will most often create more sympathy than a written story will. A first impression is usually based on what you visually observe. Even political opinions can be bias based on what an individual sees. John F. Kennedy won the presidency because, according to women, he was the better looking candidate.

          The Bible has some interesting insight into the eye. Throughout the psalms, David mentions how God watches the righteous with His eye and how He guides His people with His eye. In Isaiah 1:15, God tells the Israelites that He will refuse to see them when they spread out their hands to Him because of the iniquity of their hearts. Later on in Isaiah, the prophet warns the children of Israel that their lying tongue and the wickedness of their hands have provoked the Lord’s eyes of glory. The Bible also speaks about the eye in regards to mankind. When the woman saw the fruit of the tree, that is was pleasant to the eyes, and desirable for knowledge, she took and ate. When Adam had eaten of it, their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked. Contrast that with Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.”

          So what is the point of this? The point is that so much information is processed through the avenue of the eyes. In today’s verse, what did the people see? They saw a man that sat daily at the temple begging alms walking and praising God. Because they saw, they listened to Peter. Because they listened to Peter, they believed. They could not deny what they saw with their own eyes. They must have been aware of the consequences of that belief. In Acts four, Luke relays how, as Peter was preaching, the religious leaders laid hands on them and put them into custody. Yet in the very next verse it says, “However, many of those who heard the word believed and the number of the men came to be about 5000.” Would they have heard the word if they hadn’t seen the man? I don’t know. But my guess would be probably not.

          Knowing how important the eye is, and how much of our opinions and impressions are based on what we see, shouldn’t it make us a little more cautious about the image we are portraying to the world? We are the representatives of Christ. We are His ambassadors, predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. (Romans 8:29) When people look at me, they ought to see Jesus. Everything about my person should be a conscience reminder to the world that there is a God and He is alive. They can argue with facts, they can argue with reason, they can even argue with common sense, but they cannot argue with what God has done in my life.

          Because of what Christ has done for me, God now sees me clothed in the righteousness of His own Son. When the world sees me, may it see a sinner saved by grace through faith, who is incurably abandoned to the will of her Savior. And despite my remaining prickles and stains, may the heart of my Savior and the glory of my God, permeate throughout my entire being, that they might see and hear and believe.

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put in under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

 

 

What is My Response?

“So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them – walking, leaping and praising God.”

Acts 3:8

 

          For every move of God, there should be an equal response. When Jesus healed the demon possessed man, bound by chains and inhabited by a legion of devils, that man begged to go with Jesus. When Mary of Magdelene was delivered from her 7 demons, she became a follower of the Lord. Peter’s restoration after his denial of Christ, renewed his devotion and he was found in the place where God wanted him to receive the Holy Spirit and he preached the most dynamic sermon in history. When Paul was knocked off his horse, he gave his life to Jesus and became one of the most prolific evangelists ever, and wrote most of the New Testament.

          There were bad responses too. Balaam responded to God’s voice with disobedience. Jonah responded by running away. Ananais and Sappahira responded to the moving of God in the church by lying to the Holy Spirit. Paul speaks of those who preached the gospel because of selfish ambition and conceit. There is always a response to the moving of the Lord. But I love this man’s response to the move of God in his life – walking, leaping and praising God.

          I have known a lot of Christians in my life. Having been to over 2 dozen churches, you meet a lot of people. I can probably count on my fingers the ones that actually made Christianity look attractive to me. Rather than walking, leaping and praising God, it was more like limping, groveling and blaming God. Or strolling, wandering and forgetting God. Any number of adjectives will do, but you get the picture.

          Jesus died for you! He left His throne in glory to clothe Himself in humanity and take your punishment on the cross. He allowed Himself to be mocked, whipped, and crucified so that you don’t have to go to hell. He was raised from the dead to give you everlasting life and prove that He is the God He claimed to be. Seated at the right hand of God, He lives ot make intercession for you. Not only has He blessed you with every spiritual blessing, as though that wasn’t more than enough, he also bestows material blessings on you that you might be a blessing to others. He saves you, He keeps you, He is coming back to take you home. You should be walking and leaping and praising God. In light of who is and what He’s done, what trial on this earth is big enough to override the love and gratitude we ought to feel towards our God? Paul called them light afflictions that last but for a moment.

          Moses would tell the children of Israel, “He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you those great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.” He who has done great and awesome things in our sight is deserving of our praise. Which one of us here has not seen the great and awesome work of God? May we, like this man, respond to the move of God in our lives in such a way that fills those around us with wonder and amazement at what the Lord has done.

 

Application: Today, I will respond to the Lord’s work in my life with gratitude and praise by serving with a smile, worshiping with my whole heart and making myself available to anyone that needs anything as the Lord is always there for me.

 

In His Name

“Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Acts 3:6

 

           

My Lord Jesus, what a powerful name

In Your name the eyes of the blind can see

Demons flee

The dead are raised

In your name I find the forgiveness of sin

The power to win

Your name is to be praised

 

Oh highly exalted God of glory

You laid aside your heavenly throne

To become just like your own

Sinful man to save

Every knee shall bow, every tongue to confess

To Christ’s unblemished holiness

Name above all names

 

Prince of Peace and King of Life

My darkest fears you have relieved

Anxieties you have received

Turning darkness into light

All of my hopes in you realized

Before you I am finalized

Your name renews and restores

 

Dear Savior, in your name is life

Not only my sins to be forgiven

But fullest life because you’ve risen

Your name breaks satan’s power

          However the attack is framed

          The antidote remains the same

          Your name brings victory

 

          As it was in life, ‘twill be in death

          The sweetest I can say

          When my eyes close that day

          Your name be on my lips

          And when I pass through heaven’s gates

          And see my Savior face-to-face

          My heart won’t cease to sing your name

 

          Jesus.

 

Application: What a precious word from the Lord on a morning I woke with great fear and distress. Jesus, I give you all my fears and anxieties right now, knowing that your name dispels darkness and brings in the glorious light of life.