Do I Have To Be Perfect In Order To Serve The Lord?

May 9, 2016 by

sanctification, perfection, the great commissionAs Christians, we have a very real and very active enemy.  This enemy is opposed to God and all He stands for and spends all of his time seeking ways to disrupt and destroy that which is good (1 Peter 5:8).  Because we are the blood-bought, born again children of God, more often than not, we are the target of this enemy’s attack.

The enemy’s preferred way to operate is to try to make sure that we never hear the good news, the gospel message that Jesus saves, or if we do hear it, to try and get us to ignore or forget it without ever giving our hearts to God.  Hopefully, if you are reading this, you are already past that point.  You did not fall for the enemy’s lies and you asked Jesus to come in to your heart and to forgive you of your sins and to save your soul. If you’ve done that, then I praise God for your decision.  If you haven’t, then there’s still time, and I encourage you to make the choice now, while you still can.

But what comes next?  Once we are saved, why doesn’t God go ahead and take us home to be with Him?  Why does He allow us to continue on in this dark world of sin and heartache?  And why does Satan continue to come after us and try to tempt us with old sins and old habits and do everything that he possibly can to get us away from God and all that is good?

The answer to all of those questions that we just asked can be found in the Bible, in many places.  But for our purposes, we will choose what is perhaps the clearest and best answer.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

We call this the great commission.  Jesus Himself gave it to His disciples and to all of those who would follow Him down through the ages.  His words are clear.  We have a job to do.  We must teach and preach His Word, the Bible, and we must make disciples of all nations until the end of the age when He comes back again.  This is the task that we have been given by the One who saved us and the primary way that our neighbors, family members, co-workers and countrymen can hear the gospel message so that they too can be saved.

I would have you notice that Jesus does not give any qualifications for those who are to undertake this task.  Nowhere in the great commission does it say “once you reach a certain level of spiritual maturity, then you can go teach and preach” or “get everything in your life in order and then go do my work”.

All that is required is our faith and belief in the saving power of the gospel and our continued reliance on the Holy Spirit for our strength and daily provision.  There is the expectation that we will want to grow in our faith and knowledge of God and that we will not want to sin or make mistakes.  And we should continually strive to learn more of God’s Word and to be transformed by the daily renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

And of course our enemy does not want that to happen.  Our enemy would have us to be fearful and silent and more focused on our shortcomings and flaws than on God’s saving grace.  Our enemy can and will put every obstacle and every hurdle at his disposal in front of us to keep us from carrying out the great commission and one of the primary ways that he does this is by trying to convince us that we aren’t worthy to work for Jesus.

The reality is we aren’t worthy.  No one is.  We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and if our worthiness was our qualification to serve and to be a child of God then we would never make it.  We would be lost and without hope if any aspect of our salvation was based on our being worthy.

Only God is worthy and we only become worthy when we identify with and accept the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary.  He who knew no sin became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) so that we might be worthy to worship, worthy to receive eternal life and worthy to serve.  And it is based on what Jesus did for us that we can start each day with joy in our hearts and a song on our lips and be the witnesses to God’s redeeming work that He has called us to be.

The truth of the matter is that we who are saved and redeemed are still flawed, imperfect humans.  But God chooses to work through and work with flawed, imperfect human beings who are willing to be used and willing to serve the Lord.  And it is only through our close walk with God and our willingness to serve and to work that God can bring about miracles in us and through us.

God’s perfect plan will be accomplished regardless of whether or not we decide to be involved or to let Him use us.  But when we make the decision to allow the Lord to use us then we will be blessed by His presence and His peace and He can use us to bless and reach those around us.  Perfection is not required, willingness and surrender most certainly are.

Are you willing to be used and are you surrendered to God’s work being carried out in your life?  I pray that you are.

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Who Is Invited?

May 2, 2016 by

Psalm 98, praise, salvationOne of my favorite books in the Bible for morning devotional time is the book of Psalms.  In Psalms we find songs of praise to God, heartfelt cries for God’s mercy and presence and encouraging words about God’s character and goodness.  Although Psalms is considered one complete book, each chapter or “psalm” is more often than not self-contained and forms a complete idea and that makes it ideal for a chapter by chapter study as a daily devotional.

Here is my Psalm for this morning and how it spoke to me:

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (Psalm 98: 1-3)

Why does the psalmist say to sing a new song to the Lord?  What is this marvelous thing that he has done?  He has made his salvation and righteousness known to the nations!  And not only to Israel, his chosen people, but to all the ends of the earth, us included.

We now have the privilege of knowing what the psalmist did not, God’s salvation and righteousness were shown through Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.  Though our eyes have not seen Him yet, by faith we have believed in Him and His redeeming work on the cross.  We truly have a reason to sing to the Lord a new song of praise!

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5 Sing to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.

7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, (Psalm 98: 4-8)

When I read verse 4 and head into verse 5 I can sense a crescendo.  The psalmist has made his case as to why we have the best reason of all to praise God and to sing to Him and now he is inviting the whole earth to join him with instruments and skilled playing and singing.  But that’s not all.  Not only is humanity invited to shout and praise and sing, all of creation has the privilege to worship together because of what God has done!  The sea and everything in it will let loose a roar, the rivers that flow to the sea will clap as with hands and the hills that first gathered the rainwater that flows to the rivers and sea will be joyful.

The picture I get here is God’s lifegiving sustenance and salvation (symbolized here as water) starting in the high places and hills (the ascension of our Lord and the commissioning of the disciples) and then flowing down in channels (rivers – the Church and those who minister) to the sea (everywhere and everyone else).  And before long, the whole earth has reason to join the largest choir that has ever been assembled in mighty praise and worship to the Father.

But as wonderful as that is, we aren’t finished yet.

For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98:9)

One day, He is coming back, both to judge the world and to receive those who are His unto eternal salvation.  Let us make sure that we are ready and that we are using our time on earth wisely.  There are many who still need to hear the good news that Jesus saves and the only way that they can join with us in total praise to God is for us to be the lights that point the way to Him.

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The Oil and Water Problem

April 18, 2016 by

flesh vs Spirit, Sin, Philippians 3:3Like oil and water is the flesh of man and the Spirit of God.  The flesh is corrupted by sin, both by Adam’s original choice and by the choice of every single human being since Adam to rebel against God and do things our own way.   This corruption is all encompassing and permeates the entire physical plane (all of God’s created works) as well as man’s spirit, which died the day that Sin came in to the world.

Spiritually dead and physically corrupted, living in a fallen world where creation itself bares the curse and scars of Sin.  This is the condition of every human being on planet earth and would be the whole story and the complete picture if it weren’t for God’s plan to save us from Sin and to redeem us unto Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.

Salvation by faith in Jesus Christ allows God to put His Spirit in to each one of us.  We exchange our former spiritual death with new spiritual life by the Holy Spirit coming to abide in us.  Which brings us back to our original statement about oil and water and the flesh versus the Spirit.

God made our bodies.  The Psalmist, King David said “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14)  We are each crafted by God’s divine hand and God loves us each as a whole person, flesh, spirit and soul.  But the flesh now resides in a state of corruption.  It is beset by sickness, pain, aging, weakness, failing strength and ultimately, death.  None of these things were originally in God’s plan but have all been brought about by Sin.

God’s ultimate solution to this is to one day give us new bodies that are perfect and free from Sin’s influence.  Those bodies will never know pain or sorrow or sickness or death.  They will be wonderful and marvelous.  But before that can happen we must choose Jesus on this side of eternity.  We must put our faith in the only One who can save our souls and remake our bodies.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

Until that day when the Lord calls us home to receive our reward or comes back again, how do we allow God’s Spirit in us to flourish while still living with this corrupted, imperfect flesh?  Because we know what the flesh wants.  It wants to glorify self (selfishness) and to devise evil that will ultimately reap destruction on ourselves and everyone we influence.

The good news is, we have a choice and God has given us the power to choose good over evil.  One of the many benefits of salvation and the Holy Spirit residing in us is that we no longer have to walk in darkness and practice evil.  Those old ways and habits can be put to death, if we choose God’s way instead of our own way.  Spending time in God’s Word in prayer and meditation, making it a point to gather together with other believers for fellowship and corporate worship and seeking His way instead of our old, selfish ways will slowly transform us in to mature and complete children of God that bear little to no resemblance to our former selves.

God’s gift to us is the clean, pure water of His Spirit poured into and onto our old lives and old selves.  In comparison, our natural selves are like the foulest and blackest oil and without drastic measures, the two can’t and won’t ever mix.  But praise be to God for His indescribable gift of salvation that changed our fates!

We can live the life of the redeemed here on this Earth.  God has given us the power to do so through His Holy Spirit within us.  We must practice faith and feed the Spirit while giving no occasion to the flesh and God will handle the rest.

 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,  but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.  Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:21-25 (NASB)

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What Fuels Faith?

April 11, 2016 by

prayer, bible study, holy spiritI am of the opinion that you can never talk about or study faith too much.  As followers of Christ, our faith and belief in Him and His saving work is the foundation on which we base our lives.  We have quite literally staked our eternal existence on the fact that Jesus Christ was and is the son of God and that if we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths this truth that we shall be saved.  This is the first step in our faith journey but it can not and must not be our last.

Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Psalm 66:20 (KJV)

It was God’s mercy that authored His salvation plan and the same mercy that is still available to us today.  Just as the Psalmist said, because God is merciful He listens to our prayers and does not turn His face away from us when we call on Him.  And that is the key component in the fueling of our faith.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (NASB)

John 15:5 is one of my favorite verses because it so plainly states how we can be successful and fruitful followers of Christ.  Out of our faith comes our good works and our faith is sustained by abiding (staying) in Jesus.  And we abide in Jesus through our prayers and time spent one on one with the Holy Spirit in meditation and adoration.

Our day should start in prayer and prayer should be our first response to trouble, to joy, to sorrow, to worry, to doubt, to danger and to most anything that comes our way.  Proper prayer focuses our eyes and hearts on God who is able and who is strong to save.  It is God who delivers us and God who provides the strength that we need to overcome.  And most importantly, it is communion with the Spirit that provides the critical component in stoking the fires of our faith as we stay grounded and rooted in Him.

Prayer as a response must be practiced.  It is not a natural human response.  Unless we are taught and encouraged to pray without ceasing, we will wither on the vine and our faith will be weak and small.  Even after salvation we will more likely resemble the lost and unsaved than the saints of God if we neglect time spent in prayer and study of God’s Word.

Rejoice always;  pray without ceasing;  in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB)

Do you have a desire to grow your faith in God?  Do you want to know Him better and be a larger and stronger force for good in your home?  The place to start and the place to stay is in prayer and fellowship with the God who can provide all that we lack and so much more than we could ever ask or imagine.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,  to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NASB)

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Faith: The Hope and the Evidence

April 4, 2016 by

Faith, Hope, God,The day that God called me to write and speak His truth was a turning point in my life.  What had previously seemed like a difficult period was actually preparation and training for the most exciting plan that God had ever shared with me.

Although I was full of passion and optimism I knew that what God had just asked me to do was far beyond my abilities.  I knew absolutely nothing about starting and maintaining a website or creating content.  I didn’t have the first clue on how to go about being a blogger or using the written word to reach an internet audience.  To get where God was asking me to go was going to take a lot of faith.

I’ve been a regular church attendee for most of my life.  I know the definition of faith.  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen” (Hebrews 11:1). Even so, knowing the definition of faith was not going to be enough.  I was going to have to live out what I had learned.  I certainly hoped that God would bless my efforts as I labored to learn all I needed to know about being a blogger.  And I believe that hope in God is always rewarded as we strive to do His will.

But what about the evidence of things unseen?  Matthew Henry, who was a Presbyterian Minister in the 17th century, wrote “Faith proves to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the bodily eye”.  I certainly had no physical evidence to support God’s claim that I could do what He was asking me to do.  And if I had waited on that physical evidence to show up before I began I would never have started.  But by exercising my faith in God I trusted that He would give me what I needed exactly when I needed it.

This is God’s way.  We can see this pattern in the 16th Chapter of Exodus when the Israelites were in the wilderness and were in need of food.  They cried out to God and each day God caused manna from heaven to fall to the ground.  With this provision came the instruction to take only what was needed for that day.  God wanted His people to see His provision as fresh and new every single day and so it is with us.

I have also seen this in my own life.  In my 2nd year of college my family was facing some financial difficulties.  As I approached the end of the first semester it looked as if I was not going to be able to come back because we simply did not have the money to pay for tuition.  We prayed for God’s will and provision and with about a week to go until the end of semester I got a call from one of the college deans.

As I sat in his office that afternoon he asked me why I had not enrolled for the following semester.  I explained what was going on with my family and he listened.  As I finished he told me that it was his desire for me to stay in school and that I would be the beneficiary of a financial gift that had been provided by someone outside the school who just wanted to help a student in need.  This gift had just come in the mail.  It was just enough to keep me in school and it was just in time.

God grew my faith that day.

God is still growing my faith.  I look back at the last several months and I can see how God provided for me at every turn and how every day it is He who is giving me the message and providing my direction.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”  (Hebrews 11:6).  Day by day I am learning the truth of Hebrews 11:6.  If you are reading this it is my prayer that you also know the truth of Hebrews 11:6 and the power of a life lived by faith in God alone.  He loves you; He died for you and the life He now offers you is richer and fuller than you could ever imagine.  All you have to do is take that first step of faith.  God is waiting.

What step is God asking you to take on faith today?

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What Should We Do With All Of These Gifts?

March 28, 2016 by

gifts of the spirit, God's love, salvationOne of the most amazing things about our God is the way that He continually shows His love to us.  It’s written in the sky at morning time, it can be seen in the smiling faces of His children and it speaks to us out of His Word, the Bible.  It was displayed on a cross over 2,000 years ago as Jesus who was the Christ suffered, bled and died so that we might be saved from our sins and it is still freely given to every man, woman and child who calls on the name of the Lord.

Our God is a generous giver because He loves us so very much.  The gift of His son Jesus, the gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit and the innumerable other gifts that He has bestowed on us are all displays of His love and affection towards His creation.  Whether you know and realize it or not, if you are reading this then you are very, very blessed.

As one of the blessed, we have a responsibility to respond to God’s love in the right way.  The first and most important way we can respond is simply to acknowledge that we are loved by God and that we accept His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  If you’ve not done that, and you have questions about it, please read this.

For those of us who have already decided to follow Jesus, we still have decisions to make about how we respond to God’s love.  We still have a responsibility to share that love and to be good representatives of the God who is so very good to us.  In fact, if we are saved, God has equipped each of us in specific ways that are unique yet all fit together for the building up and encouraging of His family and His church. (God’s church is the people who are saved by grace, not any building built by human hands!  We worship in many places and many buildings but God’s church is His people and it is they are who important to Him, not the places they worship in.)

The unique ways that God equips us for the building of His church manifest in the form of talents and abilities.  Some of us are artistic and can paint or create beautiful sculpture.  Others have the ability to lead and administer effectively.  Still others can teach or preach.  The depth and breadth of the gifts that God gives us is truly amazing and no simple list could ever hope to name them all.  The point is that no matter what our talents or abilities might be, the best choice we can make after salvation is to use what we have been given for God’s glory and to show how much we love Him.

Close your eyes, you little dreamers
Numbered as the grains of sand
Do you believe there is a treasure you can’t hold in your hand?
Stewards of My great Creation
I will give this gift to you
A language that can speak your heart when words could never do

The melodies will give you wings to fly above Creation
Whenever you can’t find the words to say
So My child, I give this gift to you and all the nations
So you can give it back to Me one day

Shown above is the first verse of a song entitled “The Gift of Music” by Theocracy.  It’s a powerful song but my favorite part is the last line of the chorus.  Personalized, it says “So my child, I give this gift to you and yours so you can give it back to Me one day.”  Quite simply, one of the most beautiful and wonderful ways that we can show our love to God is by using what He has freely given us back to Him in humility and service.

Are we committed to doing that?  Are we serious about showing our love for God through our talents and abilities?  If not, then this Easter season would be an ideal starting place.  And if we are already using what God has given us for the benefit of His church, then let’s not slow down or get distracted.  Let’s renew our commitment on our knees, at the foot of the cross, in praise and thanksgiving to the One who’s love for us is deeper than the oceans and more vast than the sky.

 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10) NKJV

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Talking About the Plan

March 14, 2016 by

planI added a new permanent link to the main menu today called Plan.  Originally intended to be the Plan of Salvation I soon realized that most visitors to this site would already be Christians and that perhaps the Plan should discuss not only the Plan of Salvation but also what comes next.

I am convinced that many of the struggles and difficulties that Christians are facing today are caused by a lack of proper teaching and training.  We’ve been saved, we’ve been redeemed and called out, and we’ve been set aside for God’s unique purpose.  But we have not been equipped for the work and the ministry that God has provided for us either by our own fault or because we haven’t been discipled.

I believe that the purpose of this blog is not to talk about me but to focus on the teaching and equipping of the family of God.  The Plan is a general outline of what steps a Christian must take and be consistent with after Salvation.  After working on and being committed to the steps in the Plan then we can move on to the deeper truths discussed in the Process.  And of course it goes without saying that to be committed to either one we must first be committed fully to Jesus Christ our Savior.

I truly do not know where God is leading me with this except to say that I have a burden for God’s people when it comes to teaching and instruction.  I don’t want anyone to lack for understanding when it comes to knowing how wonderful and fulfilling it is to be fully devoted to Christ.

God would not have us to be in ignorance and He has laid out the steps for us in His Word.  He has given us His Holy Spirit, unique gifts, His Word and has promised to guide us into all truth (John 16:13) if we will but submit to Him.  It’s time to be who we were called to be and to use what God has given us to the glory of His Kingdom.

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God Loves All His Creatures, Cows Included

March 14, 2016 by
God loves cows

Hi, Reed!

It was Sunday evening after church.  Vicki and I had just turned in our driveway and could see our house in the grey twilight a few acres down the gravel driveway through the pasture.  As we neared the cattle pond on the right side of the driveway, we noticed a commotion among the three calves in our small, nine cow herd.

One of them seemed to be thrashing through some low shrubs and small trees that formed a barrier between the driveway and the pond.  This is not unusual behavior for a calf; they are quite playful when they are young, but instead of continuing straight through the bushes the little calf stopped short as if it had suddenly come to the end of a leash.  Vicki and I looked at each other and pulled the car closer.

When we pulled up beside the calves we could see that one of them had gotten a cable wrapped tightly around its neck which was now also wrapped around the trees and bushes that the calves had been playing in.  The little calf was beginning to panic and to pull against the cable which caused the cable to begin to constrict.  As we stepped out of the car, one of our favorite cows was starting to choke to death.  I started praying.

Reed was this calf’s name.  We have such a small herd that we name them and often feed them by hand.  Our favorite cow is a small, gentle, black and white we named Panda due to the pattern on her face and her general coloring.  Panda’s first and only calf is Reed.  Reed inherited his mother’s calm, gentle nature and is always the first in the herd to approach us and want a head scratch.  We’ve become quite attached to him.

My wife and I realized that unless we got that cable off of Reed’s neck he was probably going to die.  As we jumped back into the car we could hear him choking and gasping for air.  While Vicki searched for a pair of wire cutters big enough I called Vicki’s father (who lives down the road and owns every tool known to man) and with panic in my voice, described the situation.

Vicki located the wire cutters and I grabbed some work gloves as we ran back out the door.  As we once again approached the place where Reed was entangled we could see all nine cows now gathered around Reed as he knelt in the grass.  Hearing the commotion and thinking danger was present the small herd had encircled Reed.  Normally, this is a good thing and the larger, older cows protect the smaller, younger ones but at that point it just  made things more difficult.

Because of the way Reed knelt, we couldn’t tell if he was still alive.  Fortunately, as we got out of the car we could still hear him gasping for breath so we knew he was still holding on.  I cautiously approached with my wire cutters in hand being careful not to spook the other animals.  Reed began to stir and shy away, still in a panic, and I couldn’t get my wire cutters close enough to him to cut him free.

The next best option was cutting the cable where it was wrapped around the tree which would at least keep the cable from getting any tighter around Reed’s neck.  Despite my best efforts my wire cutters and my strength were not enough to cut the cable.  As I kept praying and kept trying I heard the sound of a truck behind me and knew that Vicki’s father, Richard, had arrived.

Richard had tools in hand as he exited the truck and I apprised him of the situation.  Despite almost being run over by the other calves in their distress and by Reed as he began to thrash around again, Richard was able to get the cable cut right where it wrapped around the tree.  Reed pulled away slowly, head down and in obvious pain and the heard encircled him again.

At this point it was raining and I was still in my church clothes so Vicki sent me home to change while she and Richard tried to devise a plan to get Reed still long enough to remove the cable.  I took the chance to get quiet and still and get on my knees and ask the Lord to intervene.  I asked the Lord to protect us and to help us save Reed who could now breathe but would not be able to eat or drink unless we could get that cable off of him.

The plan was for Richard to try and rope Reed (a tricky proposition at the best of times, it would be even more difficult in the rain) and tie him to the nearest available tree while Vicki and I tried to keep the other cows from interfering.  I don’t know if it would have worked because God had a much better plan.

As I once again exited the house I saw the herd, with Reed, had turned towards the corral.  In all of the 40 acres of pasture and woods, the 25 foot by 25 foot cattle corral is the one place where you could enclose a cow and separate it from the rest of the herd and that is exactly where they were headed.  I continued watching as Richard, with minimal effort, managed to coax Reed into the corral.

Richard entered the corral behind Reed.  Vicki and I, with the help of Vicki’s mother, worked on getting the large swinging door of the corral shut.  With only a small gap in the corral remaining, we hit an obstacle.  A two foot long post is inserted into the ground very close to where the corral door closes to act as a doorstop and this one would not come out to allow us to completely close off the corral.

I prayed and put my hands on the now slick, wet post and began to pull and to wiggle it around in the hole to try and get it loose.  At what felt like a centimeter at a time, it started to come out of the ground.  With a final tug and twist the post popped out of its hole and the door was shut.

What happened next is not completely clear to me.  All I know is that I looked Reed in the eye and spoke to him through the slats in the corral and he seemed to calm down.  Richard approached him and was soon able to grasp the loose end of the cable and Reed bucked and gave a little shake of his head and the cable fell off!

We all stood there looking at each other not really sure what had just happened.  We quickly opened the corral back up to let Reed join his mother, which he did happily if not vigorously.  We could tell he was still hurting, but he was definitely going to make it.

All I can say about this story is that it is completely true and I am sure that God intervened.  I have no other explanation for the herd turning towards the corral, for a post that had been stuck in the ground and not moved for months suddenly breaking free, and for a cable that had been twisted and tightly wrapped around the neck of an innocent calf suddenly falling off with a touch.  God answered our prayers that night and I give Him all the praise and glory and I promised that this was a story that would be shared.

Thank you, Lord, for showing up just in time and always giving us just what we need!

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The Transformation Of The Old Man And The Car

February 29, 2016 by

God, salvation, santificationI read a story recently that put a smile on my face.  The story centered around an old car but it was really a story about memories, shared experiences, love and most importantly, rebirth.

The paraphrased version goes something like this:  In the early 70’s a young urban couple who did not own a car and did not need one for transportation purposes began looking for a vehicle for weekend getaways and longer road trip vacations.  They were getting to the place financially where they could afford something that would be fun but not too extravagant.  After reading a few reviews in various automotive publications they settled on a 1973 Porsche 911 from a local dealership.

For 7 years they enjoyed their little Porsche.  It was their ticket to freedom after long work-weeks and it went up and down the highways and interstates of the US while bringing countless smiles and untold joy into its’ owners lives.  Then, in 1980, a job offer came from a much bigger company in a much bigger city and it was time to move.  The only downside to the new arrangement, no easy or safe place to park their beloved 911 in the big city.  After much thought and several late night discussions the couple decided that they did not want to sell the car so a local storage facility was located.  There the little Porsche would remain, tarp covered and silent for the next 33 years.

Once every few years someone would mention the car and the good times and a discussion would be had as to the car’s future and what should eventually be done with it.  This went on until 2013 when the couple was having dinner with some friends and the discussion turned to reminiscing about the past and the little car was mentioned.  The dinner guests’ eyes lit up, they were Porsche enthusiasts and knew a master mechanic who specialized in restoring early 911’s and encouraged the couple to have the car appraised and to meet with the master mechanic.

Not too long after, the couple stood in the storage facility together with someone new.  The master mechanic had come and lifted the tarp off of the 911 for the first time in many years.  His eyes lit up as he looked over the car.  Even with flat tires and covered in dust he could see the excellent condition of the interior and the fact that the odometer read a little over 35,000 miles.  The spare tire and tool-kit were intact and there was no rust anywhere.

So the question came.  “How much to bring her back to life, the way she was in 1973?”  The master thought for a few moments and then said “$20,000”.  Slightly shocked, the husband replied, “why would I spend $20,000 to restore a car that’s only worth maybe $20,000”?  The master smiled and said “put a 1 in front of your number.  The car’s restored worth is over $100,000.”

For the restoration the couple gave the master full authority to do whatever he needed to do to bring the old 911 back to life.  Every inch of the car was inspected and under the master’s watchful eye and practiced hand, that which needed to replaced was replaced with only the finest and best.  The master even went so far as to call in others who shared his enthusiasm for the project and used their expertise and their hands to make the little car even better than it was when it was brand new.

Finally the day came when the master gave his stamp of approval and said “the car is ready and the work is done!”  So the couple once again hopped into their little 1973 Porsche 911 that looked and operated even better than it did when it sat on the showroom floor all those years ago.  Their first drive was to the local Porsche dealership to have the car inspected and tested and it is not a stretch to say that every mechanic and technician in the place was stunned and delighted to see the absolute perfection of that early 911 sitting in their service area.

Everywhere the couple went people stopped and smiled at the little car.  Even folks not familiar with cars knew it was something special and beautiful and could see the joy that it brought to its owners.  It was clear that the little car had been well loved and was now fulfilling its intended purpose in a special and beautiful way.

As I finished reading the story I realized that I was smiling.  Something about it had warmed my heart and resonated very deeply with me.  I contemplated for a few moments and then I thought about what the Father did for me.  I thought about Him seeing me in the state that I was in and deciding that I was loved and that I had value.  I thought about the process of sanctification and how it sometimes feels like I am being disassembled and certain parts of me are being replaced with better thoughts and better ideas and Godly motivations.  And it didn’t take very long until I understood exactly why it was that I like this story very, very much.

And as I continued with my contemplation I realized that I was smiling and that my heart was warm because I was thankful.  I am thankful that God is still working on me and is still fixing me up for my intended purpose.  I am thankful that rebirth is not only possible but is in process simply because God loves me that much.  My “old man”, my old self, will not be my last self.  The Master is seeing to it and great joy will be the result.

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

(2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)

 

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Attainable Perfection: A Heart At Peace

February 1, 2016 by

Isaiah 26:3, peace, trustIn my weekly Bible study and devotional time God often causes a verse or group of verses to jump out at me and really stick in my memory.  Often times, this verse will be very relevant to whatever circumstances are going on at the time.  Here is a recent example that the Holy Spirit has really been working on me in regards to living it and practicing it daily.

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

I don’t know about you but sometimes I fret.  Sometimes I am anxious and instead of living in perfect peace I am actually experiencing inner turmoil.  Outwardly I may appear fine but in my heart and mind, trouble abides.  Does this ever happen to you?

If we’ve spent much time at all in church and Bible study then we should know that God’s Word tells us not to worry and to cast our cares upon Him.  We know what to do and yet we struggle to follow these instructions despite the good that it would do us.  There are many reasons for this but I believe there is really only one root cause.  Let’s look at Isaiah 26:3 again, paying particular attention to the middle clause, “whose mind is stayed on You“.

According to Isaiah 26:3, how do we defeat worry and anxiety and gain perfect peace?  We do this by keeping our mind focused on God.  This is good news, as we now have a solution to our problem of worry and anxiety but it also raises another sort of problem.  How good are we at staying focused on God for long periods of time (or anything else, for that matter)?  If you are like me, then your mind is prone to wander and you might find yourself distracted when you can least afford to be.

Here is where God’s grace and our ability to choose comes in to play.  In our human weakness and sinful state we are prone to drifting.  We live in a world that is constantly changing and we ourselves are also always changing.  We need a fixed reference point and an anchor to cling to if we are ever going to have peace and stability in our lives.  This is what God offers us and is part of His salvation gift.  God Himself is unchanging and un-moving and so by choosing to cling to Him we can gain that perfect peace that Isaiah 26:3 talks about.

This is not a “one and done” sort of thing.  It has to be a daily choice and sometimes an hourly choice.  Choose to trust in God’s goodness and character, choose to place hope and trust in The Lord and choose to believe that He alone is able.  This is the key to perfect rest.  As we learn to cling to Jesus and to abide with Him in all situations and circumstances He will provide to us perfect, unmovable, unshakable peace.

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