God’s Masterpieces

September 9, 2019 by Leave a Comment

god's work, miraclesMy wife joined me at our kitchen window for a quiet moment of wonder.  The western horizon was ablaze with the setting sun and the sky was filled with oranges, reds, purples and blues as the last remnants of the day gave way to night.  It was a marvelous display of God’s artistry and I felt a sense of awe and wonder as I stood and watched.

As I turned to walk away and go on to the completion of a few evening chores something caused me to stop and look again.  “God is painting, pay attention.”  This is the thought that came to me in that moment.  So I did, and I thanked God for the moment and the privilege of being able to see another one of his masterpieces on display.

And as so often happens in moments when I am quiet and still, God spoke into my heart and mind.  “Every moment of every day and every soul that you encounter is also my masterpiece.  Are you paying attention?”

The fact is, often times I am not paying attention to what God is doing.  I allow myself to be caught up in daily life and in the mundane details of existence.  Eating, sleeping, going to work, household chores, and just getting from point A to point B.  None of which are bad in and of themselves but all of which can lead to a life where God has scant room to work.  And I don’t know about you but my life still needs a lot of work.

I need moments where I stop and focus on my Heavenly Father and where I make him the center of my attention.  I am always blessed by his presence and by what he reveals to me and it is in the those times where I often experience real growth and real change.  Yes, God desires fellowship with me because he loves me and I am his creation and the best reason of all to come into his presence is just because he deserves it.  Even so, I find that I can’t draw closer to him without it changing me in some way for the better and I am thankful that he is not finished with his masterpiece in me yet.

God is creating a masterpiece in you and I.  Are you paying attention?  God is still working in our world (even though it seems the only news we hear is the bad news, that isn’t the whole story) are you paying attention?  If God has given us another day and is still allowing us to draw breath then his work in us is not yet completed.  And we do well when we give him our full attention.

 

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How Attention Follows Affection

August 26, 2019 by Leave a Comment

attention, affection, discipline, diligence, idolatryChances are, whatever and whoever we care for will get the majority of our time and effort on a daily basis.  Simply put, without constraints (and we’ll talk about those), we are apt to spend most of our time thinking about what we like and doing what we like.

This is not automatically a bad thing but, if we aren’t careful, it can have a negative impact on our relationship with the Lord and on our daily walk with Him.  Here’s what Jesus had to say on the subject:

for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:21 (NASB)

Simple, isn’t it?  Our heart (and when the Bible talks about the heart it is really talking about the seat of our will, our focus, and our desire) will go to whatever or whoever we “treasure”.  If we practice and work on treasuring our Lord by getting closer to Him and walking in His ways then that is where our heart will be.  But if we allow ourselves to begin to treasure a thing or a person by placing undo focus and desire on that thing or person then we are practicing a form of idolatry and God will not be glorified in us until we make it right.

Let’s go back to those constraints we talked about in the first paragraph and here is one that I am going to use as an example.  As much as we might not enjoy working for a living sometimes one of the benefits of a full-time job is that it (ideally) keeps us engaged in doing something productive and useful for society.  Otherwise, some of us might find all kinds of ways to let our hearts and minds wander into places that they should not be.

Another useful and good constraint should be the people around us; our families and friends.  (I say “should” because we as Christians should be surrounding ourselves with those who can help to keep us straight and not those who would be a negative influence)  When we focus on building Godly relationships within our churches, families and friendship circles we place a layer of protection from sinful thoughts and activities around ourselves in the process.

Finally, we need to be very familiar with two important “D” words; discipline and diligence.  Ultimately our greatest battles will be battles of the mind and heart against our sinful natures and how our sin nature will always want the opposite of what our new, spiritual nature needs.  We need the discipline to choose to do the right things and discipline, like muscles, must be built with repetition and care.

As an example, I have committed to reading the Bible through over the next year.  I have a guide that I am using with selected passages every morning and while some mornings I am very excited to see what God’s word says other mornings, I confess, I am less so.  My flesh resists disciplined reading of the Bible every day and I have to struggle to overcome that knowing that in doing so, there will be a very positive outcome.

This is where diligence comes in because we must be diligent about maintaining our disciplines.  Just like a muscle will atrophy if not used so will our discipline if we cease to practice it.  But if we diligently guard our minds and practice our disciplined walk with God then we can overcome those sinful desires and make sure that our affection and attention are going towards the right thing.

P.S. – The photo I found for today’s post was titled by the photographer “Take My Heart”.  In light of the topic I found it to be wholly appropriate.  In the end, who or what will take our hearts?

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How to Overcome and Gain Victory in Suffering

August 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

victory, suffering, character, Isaiah 54:17I’ve been watching a Netflix show recently about a group of young adults who, one and all, have had to overcome great obstacles and, in many cases, personal tragedy in order to reach their goals and be successful.  What’s interesting to me is that even though the series has a positive tone, it hasn’t pulled any punches or tried to gloss over the suffering that each of these characters has experienced nor has it failed to show the consequences of their decisions.  A few have thrived and really used the difficulties that they have faced to become stronger and wiser while others have tried to cope by running away or turning to substance abuse.  One, in particular, decided that his greatest problem was caused by some of the people close to him and that led him to act in a way that had truly tragic circumstances for several of them.

You could say then, that even though they were completely different people with varied backgrounds and abilities, what really defined them in the end was how they overcame adversity and responded to suffering.  And even though this was based on fictional characters and a fictional story, I am convinced that this is a lesson that we need to learn well and take to heart.  Our lives and our legacy will be, in large part, defined by how well we overcome adversity and the character that we show while experiencing suffering.

One of the main characters in the show was a young lady who struggled and made it through law school but as a result of her singular focus on passing the bar exam she developed very bad eating and sleeping habits that led to weight gain and poor overall health with some serious side effects.  She had to learn how to be a healthy person and treat her body with the same attention and care that she gave to her learning while still taking care of her responsibilities at her job and in her home.  She likes to say that she isn’t the smartest or most attractive but that once she puts her mind to it, she can do anything and over the course of the series she displays this same plucky attitude over and over again and refuses to ever give up or quit.

This type of positive thinking and inner fortitude is admirable and makes for good television but, in the real world, it often doesn’t work like that.  There are some chains that just can’t be broken, some illnesses that can’t be overcome and some problems that can’t be solved by positive thinking and inner strength.  With all of the things that afflict us, both from without and within, there is only one power and one solution that can overcome the greatest obstacle time and time again.  That power belongs to God and God alone but is available to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Many problems, many obstacles and many afflictions and not one of them can stand in the face of the power of God Almighty.  At the sound of His name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord and even Death itself must give way.  In Him there is hope, there is strength, there is love and there is forgiveness.  Whatever we have faced in the past, are facing today or will face tomorrow He can redeem it and give us the ultimate victory.  This is God’s promise to those who would give Him their hearts and lives and this is the best response to the obstacles we face and the suffering we must endure.

Whatever it is, cry out to God and give it to Him.  Admit your inability to solve it on your own and confess your trust in Him.  Then, prepare to be amazed with God and His work in your life!

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

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Read the Word

August 12, 2019 by Leave a Comment

If you are like me then you might have one or more devotional studies that you are participating in right now. In my experience these tend to be daily, topical studies that take a verse of scripture and expound upon it, bringing to light some deeper truths of the scriptures.

These studies can be very helpful and they certainly have a place in the growing believer’s regular time of study and prayer. They emphasize brevity (usually a couple hundred words or the equivalent of a single page) and breadth, attempting to cover as wide a base as possible in terms of topics and verses. The verse or small group of verses is given and what follows is the explanation meaning the ratio of God’s words to human words in these tends to be heavily weighted towards the human side.

That has a very important place in our growth but what they don’t do and what they should not do is replace the reading and studying of God’s word directly. We need one on one contact and “eyes to page” time with our Bibles every single day. We need to be reading them in person, praying over them and committing scriptures to memory. And the more mature we become as Christians the more important this is to our continued growth. We need the life-giving meat of God’s word much more than we need anything else.

This was very clearly shown to me recently as my study time had been taken up by a couple of devotional books that, as good as they were, they were not filling me the way that I wanted and needed to be filled. It was only after I decided that I would spend the majority of my study time in my Bible and, if I had any time remaining, then perhaps make use of a devotional that I once again felt filled and renewed in my mind and in my spirit.

As God’s dearly beloved children who are still living on this fallen earth there is no substitute and no greater force than his precious word. Not only can we not grow without it we also can’t be the preachers, teachers, prayer warriors, servants, family members, spouses and friends that He wants us to be. Make it your priority. Read the Word.

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The Heart of the Gospel

August 5, 2019 by Leave a Comment

relationships, peacemaker, God's loveIt matters how we treat each other.  Our behavior towards our friends and enemies alike is of great interest to our Heavenly Father.  God commands us to love one another and to show kindness and compassion even to those who call themselves our enemies.  Not an easy thing to do!

I think most of us who call ourselves Christians understand this on an intellectual level but I wonder if we have really taken it to heart.  Do we understand why God commands us to love one another and what our motivations should be when we interact with others?

The heart of the gospel is God reaching out and showing His awesome love to mankind.  The word gospel literally means “good news” and to a creation that is lost in enslavement to sin and corruption, God’s redeeming love is the best news possible.  God wants all the world to know, every single man, woman and child, how much he loves them and how much he desires a relationship with them.

God loves us in spite of our fallen state.  He loves us and seeks us even when we are at our worst.  God’s love is consistent despite our attitudes or actions and no sin of ours can ever stop God from loving us and seeking us.  And so it should be with us and how we treat those around us.  Simply put, when we show love, compassion and mercy to others we are showing forth Godly attributes that point people towards Him.  However, when we fail to show love and instead respond with an attitude of complaint, aggression, superiority, judgement or self-seeking we put the focus squarely on ourselves and do not show God through our actions.

Remember what Jesus said was the most important commandment?

 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:36-40 (NASB)

Jesus thought our treatment of one another was important enough to include in what we know as “The greatest commandment”.  Loving God first and foremost and then out of that relationship, loving others unconditionally is the cornerstone of his teaching.  And lest we think that was a new idea first presented in the New Testament we can go all the way back to the book of Exodus to see something very similar.

If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him.  If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.  Exodus 23:5-6 (NASB)

This passage from Exodus is in the midst of several chapters of instructions that God gave directly to His people on how to treat each other and how they should act.  Notice verses 5 and 6 above that specifically talk about how we should treat those who call themselves our enemy or even those who hate us.  We are to actively seek to help and render aid whenever and wherever we can.

I think it’s interesting that verse 5 talks about a donkey or ox that has wandered away, meaning a lost possession that would be nonetheless important to him who lost it.  If we were to come upon such an item most of us would think that there would be no harm or foul in simply going on about our business and hoping that things turn out ok.  After all, we didn’t take the item and we didn’t cause it to become lost, right?  But God says specifically to take the initiative in returning that thing to him who lost it and by our action, show love and concern.  Why?  Because it’s what God does for us all the time!

God is not miserly or stingy with his love and blessings on us and neither should we be with each other.  If we have an opportunity to serve someone and be of help to them then it is our God given duty and privilege to do so.  In this way we show God’s love by our actions.

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Defining Identity: The Truth About Who We Really Are

July 29, 2019 by 4 Comments

identity, affection, hobbiesAs it does with many boys, my fascination with the automobile started early.  I remember going on a two-week vacation with my family to the Grand Canyon when I was around ten years old and during that trip I can vividly remember starting to notice all of the different makes and models of cars on the road around me for the first time.  I noticed their shapes and proportions, their colors and especially the way they looked as they traversed the roads around my families camper-shell pickup that was our vacation vehicle that year.  By the end of the trip I had even began to memorize which company made what car based only on a quick look at a certain car as it went by.  For some reason I enjoyed this process and to some degree, I still do.

As I got a little bit older and a little bit more interested in the cars around me, I started gravitating towards books and magazines that talked about them and discussed them in detail.  I had conversations with my friends about them and even found some local kindred spirits in my church youth group who were driving and restoring old Mustangs.  Needless to say, I was very enthusiastic about what they were doing and it wasn’t too long before my Dad and I had purchased our own Mustang project car to work on (a 68 coupe).

This fascination with the automobile and appreciation of all of the work that goes in to each different type has only gotten stronger over time.  I would go so far as to say that it is one of my favorite topics and at this point in my life I would readily identify myself as a “car-person”.  And as a “car-person” I actively seek out other car people in real life and on the internet to see and hear about their projects and about the vehicles that they are driving and enjoying.  Coming in to this year, being a car person had become a strong part of my identity.  And the Lord started to speak to me about that, and what that meant for me.

As a child of God, my real identity is that of a blood-washed, born-again saint.  The Bible says it is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  My flesh and its desires are to be crucified and put to death and my first and greatest love must always be Jesus.  So I had to ask myself some hard questions.  Do I seek out my brothers and sisters in Christ, because of our shared identity, as readily as I do car people?  Do I want to hear their testimonies and learn about what God is doing in their lives as much as I want to know what it feels like to drive the new Shelby GT350 Mustang?  Hmmm.  The fact of the matter is, there shouldn’t even be a comparison here.  Jesus is always better than _______!  (fill in the blank with whatever it is that you love the most).

We all have our own likes and dislikes.  We all have those things that put a sparkle in our eye and that we naturally gravitate towards.  Hobbies and past-times can be good, constructive things if they are used in the way that God intended and are kept in subjection to His authority and will for our lives.  But our identities should never be tied up in things of this earth.  Be it a career or trade, a title or position, a possession or a hobby or anything else that isn’t Christ Jesus.  We are so much better than that!

God made us to be His children, joint heirs with our Savior, inheritors of every spiritual blessing and the abundant life that can be had when we live and walk in His Spirit.  When we tie our identities to earthly things and let them define us, we settle for less than God intended.  I urge you not to make that mistake.  Be very sure of what defines you and where your identity lies.  And if you aren’t sure, ask God.  He will help you to see and to understand with just what it means to be a child of the one true King.

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How God Provides

July 22, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Our God is the creator of heaven and earth and by his power all things were created and all things are sustained. We have no thought, no substance and no existence except by him and through him. He provides life, inspiration, nourishment and, most importantly, his presence and power to those he loves and chooses.

God’s provision is both a past, singular event in which he created this world and all of the systems that govern it and an ongoing, daily occurrence in which he continues to interact with this world and his people in order to meet their needs. How God provides is completely dependent on his purposes and, even though we sometimes fail to understand, will always bring about his perfect will.

I am reminded of a brother in Christ that I recently met with for the purpose of prayer and encouragement. This brother was struggling with some physical infirmities that were making daily life very difficult and uncomfortable and he was weak both physically and mentally. It is accurate to say that he was depressed and felt that his physical outlook was bleak but, being a believer in Christ, still desired to honor God with his attitude and actions.

Still, and as I have so many times in the past, I wondered why God would allow one of his precious children to go through something so painful and difficult. I wondered why God, despite many visits to the doctor and many tests, had not provided a remedy to this disease.

I think we’ve all been there; to that place where we don’t doubt God’s intentions but we are nevertheless perplexed by his timing and how he seems to be still in our time of need. We know he still loves us. We know that he has promised to never leave us or forsake us. But why does he sometimes choose to allow us to linger in a place of pain and uncertainty?

All I can say to that is that I choose to believe in his word and his promises.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NASB)

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 (NASB)

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 (NASB)

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison 2 Corinthians 4:17

And when God’s word is considered and we view our present circumstances in the light of his eternal plan it may not change our situation but it will change our outlook and improve our understanding of what he is trying to accomplish. God may not always provide what we want or when we want but what he provides is always better, always at the perfect time and always worth far more than anything we could ask or imagine.

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How To Be A Follower

July 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Leadership, Follower, Psalm 119Leadership is important.  The strength and effectiveness of any organization will largely be determined by the strength and skill of its leader.  Teams with great coaches tend to excel and companies with great CEO’s more often than not provide good products and services.  And because leadership is so important there is a large focus in our society on becoming a leader and developing leadership skills.

As members of the family of God we also may find ourselves in leadership positions in our jobs, schools, churches and homes.   But before we can be any kind of effective leader in whatever position we are in we must first learn to be a great follower.

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
    By living according to your word.
 I seek you with all my heart;
    do not let me stray from your commands.
 I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you.
 Praise be to you, Lord;
    teach me your decrees.
 With my lips I recount
    all the laws that come from your mouth.
 I rejoice in following your statutes
    as one rejoices in great riches.
 I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.
 I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.  Psalm 119:9-16 (NIV)

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible.  In the NASB version it is called  “Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God” and the writer comes over and over again to the idea of knowing God’s word and seeking God with all of his heart.  These two ideas are not only integral to Psalm 119 but also to anyone who wants to be a great follower of God.  Indeed, they are the foundation on which a joyful and blessed life of faith can be laid.

In Psalm 119, the emphasis first and foremost is on knowing God’s word.  Likewise, this is where we must begin as well.  We can’t follow what we do not know and we can’t remember and meditate on that which we have not learned.  The Psalmist says he has hidden God’s word in his heart so that he might not sin against God and this means that he has studied it, thought about it, meditated on it and taken it in to be part of his character and lifestyle.  It isn’t just a collection of rules to which he pays lip service but a deep, abiding conviction and a roadmap for living.

Now that the Psalmist has dedicated himself to learning and keeping God’s word he has decided to seek God with all of his heart.  Amazingly and consistently the outcome of getting to know God’s word is always a person who wants to seek God with his or her whole heart.  God’s word always points people to God the person and to that blessed relationship between us and our Creator.  Therefore, becoming a great follower is all about recognizing who God is through his word and what our place is in his divine plan.

Once we have committed ourselves to becoming a great follower of God then and only then can we become a great leader; one who leads people to Jesus and points the way to reconciliation and to the good news that God so loves the world.

 

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How Great is Our God?

July 8, 2019 by Leave a Comment

How great is our God? It’s a question that I freely admit I do not have the capacity to answer. Even so, to ponder such a question can open our hearts and minds to God’s will for our lives and lead us to a better understanding of His character.

I also find it to be an exciting question. As one of the redeemed I belong to Him and my desire is to get to know Him better and to find out more about Him. I want to know about His works and His ways and I want to be able to more fully perceive Him in my daily life. By pondering His greatness I am increasing my focus on Him and using more of my imagination and intellect (of which He is the author and giver) in His direction.

And here is a very great truth about anything that we spend for God. Be it time, talents, energy, resources or whatever it might be; whatever we spend for God He gives us back to overflowing, far above what we could ever ask or imagine.

How great is our God? So great He spoke all of creation into existence with just the power of His words. So great that He who is the Word, Jesus Christ, became flesh and dwelt among us and in doing so broke the power of Sin and death so that we might be made free and alive to God. So great that even now He is preparing a perfect place for us to live with Him one day even as He provides power and strength for each present moment.

How great is our God? So great that I can only begin to describe it. So great that I look forward to spending all of eternity with anyone who might ever read this in finding out the answer to that question. Will you be there with me? Have you begun to answer that question in your own life? Are you, even now, starting to discover just how great is our God?

My prayer is that the answers to all of those question is “yes”. Because if you can’t answer “yes” to all of those questions then you need to stop, right now, and ask God to forgive you of all of your wrongs and for Jesus to come into your heart and be your Savior and best friend. That way, you too can begin to answer the question “How great is our God?”

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The Charge

June 24, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I believe that all children of God who are truly born again have been given a special and unique calling by God into some kind of ministry. God calls us who are his people to work and equips us in accordance with our tasks and responsibilities. The ministries we are called to participate in can be preaching, teaching, music, giving, prayer, encouragement, administration and many others. Whatever is needful for the body of Christ to grow God will provide and he most often desires to do this through the working of his saints, side by side.

But what happens when we fail to listen? What happens to the body of Christ, the Church, when believer after believer chooses not to show up, not to get involved and not to heed the call on their life to work and to serve?

You don’t have to look very far or very hard to see the effects. They are all around us. When preachers fail to preach the Word is not spread and there can be no salvation or deliverance apart from the Word. When teachers fail to teach ignorance is commonplace and misinformation is taken as the truth. When musicians fail to play and use their gifts God is not being praised as he ought and we are all the poorer for it. And the list goes on and on with the point being that we as a body of believers can only be healthy when all of our parts are in-tune and functioning as they should.

In 2nd Timothy chapter 4 Paul gives a charge to his student and mentee Timothy.

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2 NASB

But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5

Notice the very last part of verse 5. Fulfill your ministry, Paul says. And even though this was written specifically to Timothy who had been called as an evangelist the same charge is applicable to all of us today. Fulfill your ministry, God says! His Word and his instruction are clear. We must be active in our faith and in our work for the Lord. There is no option to do otherwise and when we fail to fulfill our roles those around us suffer as a result and God is not pleased.

Just as Paul charged Timothy so I charge us all to be active and engaged in our faith and in the ministry to which we are called. Only then can we be the healthy and effective body of Christ that we are called to be.

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