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"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy...." (Galatians 5:22).
JOY is one of the distinguishing characteristics of those who experience God's presence and power in their lives. How could it be any other way!
"In Your presence is fullness of joy," the Psalmist wrote. And you can discover this to be true for yourself. How? By being filled with the Spirit, and walking in love.
Love celebrates the good in that which is true, and the truth in that which is good. Love works no ill to its neighbor, and rejoices always when that which is right and good prevails. When God's love floods our lives, our hearts overflow with joy. It is both the joy of being loved, and the joy that comes from showing love towards others by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Before He was crucified Jesus held a final dinner with His disciples and promised them that, though He would no longer be with them, they would not be left alone. For Another would be there with them, even as He had been. He was speaking about the Holy Spirit. And He concluded His discourse by saying, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11).
A few weeks later, after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus -- that promise was fulfilled in one historic moment on the Day of Pentecost. And the Bible tells us repeatedly in the days and weeks that followed -- "And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 13:52).
Paul would later add his apostolic blessing to this growing experience -- "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13).
This JOY is never more resplendent than when it emerges in the face of great difficulty and challenge.
The first step to power in perilous times is to be filled with the love of God, which expresses itself through us in a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory -- especially in the face of gloom and doom.
Tomorrow we will chart the course for step two.
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Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Fruit of the Spirit
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"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22).
Apples grow from.....apple trees. It's how nature works. From the very beginning of creation God set into each genre the capacity to reproduce fruit "after its kind, according to its likeness" (Gen.1:11). This being true of trees, and animals, and also people -- then surely it is even more so true of the Holy Spirit.
In simple and plain language it comes down to this -- a man or woman cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit and continue to live an unholy life. Nor can it be said that we walking with the God of Love, if we are unloving to those around us. For each seed reproduces after its kind. If, then, the Seed of God is truly within us, then the fruit of God's ways and words will become evident through us.
Thus we come to Paul's famous list -- the fruit of the Spirit. However, instead of approaching this as a list of things that follow along with love; let's look instead at these as the various ways in which Love is made known in and through us.
For example, JOY is Love celebrating; PEACE is Love reposing; PATIENCE is Love enduring....and so forth.
These things, listed in sequence by the apostle, serve as the signs posted for us on the pathway to power in perilous times.
Over the following days we will take a closer look at each of these things with a single end in mind -- that our lives be truly filled with the Holy Spirit, and that God's love will be shed abroad not only in our hearts, but also through our lives to those around us.
See you tomorrow.
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"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22).
Apples grow from.....apple trees. It's how nature works. From the very beginning of creation God set into each genre the capacity to reproduce fruit "after its kind, according to its likeness" (Gen.1:11). This being true of trees, and animals, and also people -- then surely it is even more so true of the Holy Spirit.
In simple and plain language it comes down to this -- a man or woman cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit and continue to live an unholy life. Nor can it be said that we walking with the God of Love, if we are unloving to those around us. For each seed reproduces after its kind. If, then, the Seed of God is truly within us, then the fruit of God's ways and words will become evident through us.
Thus we come to Paul's famous list -- the fruit of the Spirit. However, instead of approaching this as a list of things that follow along with love; let's look instead at these as the various ways in which Love is made known in and through us.
For example, JOY is Love celebrating; PEACE is Love reposing; PATIENCE is Love enduring....and so forth.
These things, listed in sequence by the apostle, serve as the signs posted for us on the pathway to power in perilous times.
Over the following days we will take a closer look at each of these things with a single end in mind -- that our lives be truly filled with the Holy Spirit, and that God's love will be shed abroad not only in our hearts, but also through our lives to those around us.
See you tomorrow.
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Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Pathway to Power in Perilous Times
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"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money.....unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving" (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Surely these days are upon us! But just as certain is this -- the Spirit of God is also upon us!! And though we live in perilous times, we still may discern a pathway to power, and walk its unerring route to a life that is above the common.
We even have true and proven signs posted for us to insure that our feet will not falter as we keep in step with the Spirit.
Yesterday we talked about LOVE, the mark of God's Presence. To carry this thought a step further, let's look today at what Paul wrote, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22).
This is the pathway to power in perilous times.
This verse shows us that when the Holy Spirit is given to us, then the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. And in turn that will produce the fullness of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives -- which will stand in sharp contrast to the spirit of the age.
Though there be many who fall to the lure of lesser things, the Holy Spirit can lift us up and lead us on to that which is highest and best. Our lives can be a light that shines brightest in the darkest night.
We'll talk more about what this actually looks like this tomorrow.
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"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money.....unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving" (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Surely these days are upon us! But just as certain is this -- the Spirit of God is also upon us!! And though we live in perilous times, we still may discern a pathway to power, and walk its unerring route to a life that is above the common.
We even have true and proven signs posted for us to insure that our feet will not falter as we keep in step with the Spirit.
Yesterday we talked about LOVE, the mark of God's Presence. To carry this thought a step further, let's look today at what Paul wrote, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22).
This is the pathway to power in perilous times.
This verse shows us that when the Holy Spirit is given to us, then the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. And in turn that will produce the fullness of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives -- which will stand in sharp contrast to the spirit of the age.
Though there be many who fall to the lure of lesser things, the Holy Spirit can lift us up and lead us on to that which is highest and best. Our lives can be a light that shines brightest in the darkest night.
We'll talk more about what this actually looks like this tomorrow.
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Mark of God's Presence
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"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).
Has it ever struck you as more than a little strange that many who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit live such empty and unspiritual lives? That those who testify they have power over demons, have no power over themselves? And those who claim to personally know the God of Love, are so impersonal and unloving? Strange indeed.
Whatever else may be said to prove that a man or woman is filled with the Spirit of God, this one thing is indisputably certain -- they will be filled with love.
If we hold to this one thing then we will not drift apart in our debates about so many other things, such as speaking in tongues, casting out demons, working mighty miracles -- and what not.
For, though I speak in the tongues of men and angels, and though I have the gift of prophecy, and though I have faith to move mountains -- well, you know how it goes. The bottom line is that without love -- I am nothing.
Love is the mark of God's Presence.
The Bible says plainly, "Now abides faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love." Love is the greatest, and here's why. Faith is a power that ebbs and flows, sometimes it is strong; other times not so much. It has its ups and downs. Hope is a promise that carries us ever onward, until what we are hoping for occurs....or not. Once we have what we were hoping for, then hope is no longer necessary.
Faith is a power, hope is a promise, but Love is a Person -- a Person who never fails. Love is the one thing that certifies the presence of God, for God IS love. Thus do we say that love is a Person.
So if I were to say that I am filled with the Holy Spirit, then the one undeniable evidence of that divine encounter would be that I would be filled with love. I would walk in love, act in love, think in love, and live in love.
Everything about me would bear the mark of God's presence in me -- and that mark, singular and indisputable, is LOVE.
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"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).
Has it ever struck you as more than a little strange that many who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit live such empty and unspiritual lives? That those who testify they have power over demons, have no power over themselves? And those who claim to personally know the God of Love, are so impersonal and unloving? Strange indeed.
Whatever else may be said to prove that a man or woman is filled with the Spirit of God, this one thing is indisputably certain -- they will be filled with love.
If we hold to this one thing then we will not drift apart in our debates about so many other things, such as speaking in tongues, casting out demons, working mighty miracles -- and what not.
For, though I speak in the tongues of men and angels, and though I have the gift of prophecy, and though I have faith to move mountains -- well, you know how it goes. The bottom line is that without love -- I am nothing.
Love is the mark of God's Presence.
The Bible says plainly, "Now abides faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love." Love is the greatest, and here's why. Faith is a power that ebbs and flows, sometimes it is strong; other times not so much. It has its ups and downs. Hope is a promise that carries us ever onward, until what we are hoping for occurs....or not. Once we have what we were hoping for, then hope is no longer necessary.
Faith is a power, hope is a promise, but Love is a Person -- a Person who never fails. Love is the one thing that certifies the presence of God, for God IS love. Thus do we say that love is a Person.
So if I were to say that I am filled with the Holy Spirit, then the one undeniable evidence of that divine encounter would be that I would be filled with love. I would walk in love, act in love, think in love, and live in love.
Everything about me would bear the mark of God's presence in me -- and that mark, singular and indisputable, is LOVE.
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Heads Up!
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"And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (1John 1:4).
Some things are just too good to kept to oneself. The first followers of Jesus felt strongly that they must tell others what they themselves had actually experienced and found to be undeniably true.
The Phillips New Testament puts it this way, "We really saw and heard what we are now writing to you about. We want you to be with us in this - in this fellowship with the Father, and Jesus Christ his Son. We must write and tell you about it, because the more that fellowship extends the greater the joy it brings to us who are already in it."
That is how I feel about a discovery I have made for myself in the Word. I must write and tell you about it, so that you can get in on it too!
The following series of posts which will be uploaded over the next several days represent a new and current work of grace occurring in my own personal life and journey. I hold to the unwavering conviction that truth works -- and what you will be reading in the upcoming days is a Truth that is working in me.
A personal revival of faith and practice is unfolding in my own soul, and the effects of it, which are bearing out in my attitudes and actions, are real and delightful.
I wholeheartedly recommend these things to you with complete confidence that you, too, will experience a deeper walk with the Lord, and therein discover for yourself that TRUTH WORKS!
Stay tuned -- this is going to be transforming!
.
"And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (1John 1:4).
Some things are just too good to kept to oneself. The first followers of Jesus felt strongly that they must tell others what they themselves had actually experienced and found to be undeniably true.
The Phillips New Testament puts it this way, "We really saw and heard what we are now writing to you about. We want you to be with us in this - in this fellowship with the Father, and Jesus Christ his Son. We must write and tell you about it, because the more that fellowship extends the greater the joy it brings to us who are already in it."
That is how I feel about a discovery I have made for myself in the Word. I must write and tell you about it, so that you can get in on it too!
The following series of posts which will be uploaded over the next several days represent a new and current work of grace occurring in my own personal life and journey. I hold to the unwavering conviction that truth works -- and what you will be reading in the upcoming days is a Truth that is working in me.
A personal revival of faith and practice is unfolding in my own soul, and the effects of it, which are bearing out in my attitudes and actions, are real and delightful.
I wholeheartedly recommend these things to you with complete confidence that you, too, will experience a deeper walk with the Lord, and therein discover for yourself that TRUTH WORKS!
Stay tuned -- this is going to be transforming!
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Monday, January 26, 2009
What Can God Do in Ten Days?
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"Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink." (Daniel 1:12).
Ten days. That's just shy of two weeks.
What if you had ten days to prep for a major test; would you ace it? Of course you would -- especially if you used the prior ten days to really get ready.
But, if on the other hand, you took the ten days not as a time of preparation, but as a time of reprieve, then the test would come suddenly upon you and -- to your shame -- you would fail.
In the matter of Daniel and his friends, they were given ten days to prove their faith in God to unbelievers. And when the time of examination came upon them, their examiners found them "ten times better" than all the others who had followed the world's ways.
We are told that "their faces appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat." The Message puts it this way, "At the end of the ten days they looked better and more robust than all the others who had been eating from the royal menu."
What would your life look like if you gave God ten days to ready you for an examination? Would you pass it? Of course you would!
So, why not start today and follow the leading of God in your life for the next ten days. Then, in ten days when you are faced with a challenge which perhaps in the past has bested you -- this time you will come through looking better and more robust than ever.
In fact, it will be said of you by your examiners that you are in fact "ten times better" than you were before!
Yep. That's what God can do in ten days.
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"Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink." (Daniel 1:12).
Ten days. That's just shy of two weeks.
What if you had ten days to prep for a major test; would you ace it? Of course you would -- especially if you used the prior ten days to really get ready.
But, if on the other hand, you took the ten days not as a time of preparation, but as a time of reprieve, then the test would come suddenly upon you and -- to your shame -- you would fail.
In the matter of Daniel and his friends, they were given ten days to prove their faith in God to unbelievers. And when the time of examination came upon them, their examiners found them "ten times better" than all the others who had followed the world's ways.
We are told that "their faces appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat." The Message puts it this way, "At the end of the ten days they looked better and more robust than all the others who had been eating from the royal menu."
What would your life look like if you gave God ten days to ready you for an examination? Would you pass it? Of course you would!
So, why not start today and follow the leading of God in your life for the next ten days. Then, in ten days when you are faced with a challenge which perhaps in the past has bested you -- this time you will come through looking better and more robust than ever.
In fact, it will be said of you by your examiners that you are in fact "ten times better" than you were before!
Yep. That's what God can do in ten days.
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Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Ultimate Examination
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"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24).
The Bible tells us of a rich, young ruler who came running to Jesus -- eager to meet Him and get an answer to his questions. He begins by saying, "Good Master, what must I do that I might have eternal life?" And the Lord changes the terms of their encounter immediately -- "Why call Me good?" He asked.
This was not what the rich young ruler expected to hear. He surely supposed, according to the custom of the day, that Jesus would in some way return to him a flattering gesture or remark. You know, something like, "My good man, how wonderful it is to meet you; and don't you look splendid in your robes and regal flair! Now then, what is it that I can do for you?"
But Jesus didn't come to play social tennis, batting superficial compliments back and forth for the sake of image and protocol. Seeing that He had Himself already laid aside His claims to Heaven's throne, and made Himself of no reputation -- this public posturing of the rich young ruler held no attraction to Him whatsoever.
One must realize that to enter into the Lord's presence opens the life up to a full examination, which begins with the abrupt dismissal of all flattery and pretense. Before Jesus could answer the young man's questions, He first had to correct his understanding.
Elsewhere Jesus said, "Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless"(Mar 12:38-40, Message). He said that their long prayers were pretentious, even as they themselves were.
Rather than continue living pretentious lives, robed in religious jargon and public posturing, follow David's private example and say the one thing that matters most -- "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
To live the ultimate life, we must undergo the ultimate examination.
.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24).
The Bible tells us of a rich, young ruler who came running to Jesus -- eager to meet Him and get an answer to his questions. He begins by saying, "Good Master, what must I do that I might have eternal life?" And the Lord changes the terms of their encounter immediately -- "Why call Me good?" He asked.
This was not what the rich young ruler expected to hear. He surely supposed, according to the custom of the day, that Jesus would in some way return to him a flattering gesture or remark. You know, something like, "My good man, how wonderful it is to meet you; and don't you look splendid in your robes and regal flair! Now then, what is it that I can do for you?"
But Jesus didn't come to play social tennis, batting superficial compliments back and forth for the sake of image and protocol. Seeing that He had Himself already laid aside His claims to Heaven's throne, and made Himself of no reputation -- this public posturing of the rich young ruler held no attraction to Him whatsoever.
One must realize that to enter into the Lord's presence opens the life up to a full examination, which begins with the abrupt dismissal of all flattery and pretense. Before Jesus could answer the young man's questions, He first had to correct his understanding.
Elsewhere Jesus said, "Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless"(Mar 12:38-40, Message). He said that their long prayers were pretentious, even as they themselves were.
Rather than continue living pretentious lives, robed in religious jargon and public posturing, follow David's private example and say the one thing that matters most -- "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
To live the ultimate life, we must undergo the ultimate examination.
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Saturday, January 24, 2009
Go Home and Tell Your Friends
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"Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you" (Mark 5:19).
Here we have the account of one man's assignment, given to him by Jesus after the Lord had freed him from horrific enslavement to demonic powers. Surely, he had a story to tell!
We have no record given to us of what happened when he returned home, but our imaginations may soar with just how far-reaching his testimony must have become.
Like him, we each have a story to tell.
This verse of scripture came alive in my heart almost forty years ago, when as a young man in the Texas State Penitentiary I prayed one night in my cell, asking the Lord if I could go home. I opened my Bible and these words seemed to leap from the page -- "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."
Something happened inside me at that moment, and I knew two things for certain. I was going to be released from prison, and I was to go home and tell my story. Within two weeks, it happened. And I have been telling my story ever since!
Yes, God has saved me by His grace. But there's more.
He has sealed me with His Spirit, secured me in His Kingdom, satisfied me with His Presence, and sent me on His mission. He has set me up as a husband, a father, a teacher, a seer, and a friend. He has sustained me through His people, and shown me marvelous things in His Word, in dreams, in visions, in circumstances and in others. And He is still at work, doing even more and more.
And I tell you now the simple, undeniable truth -- it is no secret what God can do! What He's done for others -- He will do for you, with arms wide open.
Ask, and you will receive. Then, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you!"
.
"Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you" (Mark 5:19).
Here we have the account of one man's assignment, given to him by Jesus after the Lord had freed him from horrific enslavement to demonic powers. Surely, he had a story to tell!
We have no record given to us of what happened when he returned home, but our imaginations may soar with just how far-reaching his testimony must have become.
Like him, we each have a story to tell.
This verse of scripture came alive in my heart almost forty years ago, when as a young man in the Texas State Penitentiary I prayed one night in my cell, asking the Lord if I could go home. I opened my Bible and these words seemed to leap from the page -- "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."
Something happened inside me at that moment, and I knew two things for certain. I was going to be released from prison, and I was to go home and tell my story. Within two weeks, it happened. And I have been telling my story ever since!
Yes, God has saved me by His grace. But there's more.
He has sealed me with His Spirit, secured me in His Kingdom, satisfied me with His Presence, and sent me on His mission. He has set me up as a husband, a father, a teacher, a seer, and a friend. He has sustained me through His people, and shown me marvelous things in His Word, in dreams, in visions, in circumstances and in others. And He is still at work, doing even more and more.
And I tell you now the simple, undeniable truth -- it is no secret what God can do! What He's done for others -- He will do for you, with arms wide open.
Ask, and you will receive. Then, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you!"
.
Friday, January 23, 2009
What Do You Want?
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Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" (John 1:38 NIV).
Two men listened attentively to John the Baptist, and one day heard him say, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John was speaking about his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth.
The two men immediately left John and started following Jesus along the road. Imagine how stunned these two must have been when Jesus abruptly turned to them and point blank asked, “What do you want?”
It had to take them back a step or two.
How would you reply to such a question if it were put directly to you by the Lord? Many of us are not honest enough with our own souls to even know how to answer such a question. We fumble about for words, and stumble over our secret fears, and end up sputtering in the face of Life’s fleeting and unexpected opportunities.
So, what do you want? No, what do you really want?
So many of our wants are trite and frivolous, while others are vainly ambitious. We want a bicycle, a car, and ticket to the show. A better hair-do. We want world peace, and animals living in harmony with man. We want all bad people to be good and behave themselves.
We want our toilets to flush without backing up. We want insect repellant, and a cure for dreaded diseases. We want free stuff. We want liberty. We want money. We want our candidate in the Oval office – not theirs.
We want entertainment, pleasure, fun, and we want it without guilt. We want answers. We want good weather. You see how the list can go on and on?
Sooner or later we will actually land upon what it is we really, really want. That’s what Jesus is asking about.
“So, what do you really want?” He asks you, “I know all the religious answers, all the ridiculous answers, and all the right answers – but, what I’m looking for is the real answer. What do you want?”
How would you answer that question today?
.
Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" (John 1:38 NIV).
Two men listened attentively to John the Baptist, and one day heard him say, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John was speaking about his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth.
The two men immediately left John and started following Jesus along the road. Imagine how stunned these two must have been when Jesus abruptly turned to them and point blank asked, “What do you want?”
It had to take them back a step or two.
How would you reply to such a question if it were put directly to you by the Lord? Many of us are not honest enough with our own souls to even know how to answer such a question. We fumble about for words, and stumble over our secret fears, and end up sputtering in the face of Life’s fleeting and unexpected opportunities.
So, what do you want? No, what do you really want?
So many of our wants are trite and frivolous, while others are vainly ambitious. We want a bicycle, a car, and ticket to the show. A better hair-do. We want world peace, and animals living in harmony with man. We want all bad people to be good and behave themselves.
We want our toilets to flush without backing up. We want insect repellant, and a cure for dreaded diseases. We want free stuff. We want liberty. We want money. We want our candidate in the Oval office – not theirs.
We want entertainment, pleasure, fun, and we want it without guilt. We want answers. We want good weather. You see how the list can go on and on?
Sooner or later we will actually land upon what it is we really, really want. That’s what Jesus is asking about.
“So, what do you really want?” He asks you, “I know all the religious answers, all the ridiculous answers, and all the right answers – but, what I’m looking for is the real answer. What do you want?”
How would you answer that question today?
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Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Triumphant Trudge
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“They shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Deep in the heart of every person is a passionate desire to know that he or she is fulfilling the purpose for which they have been placed here on this earth. Have you found it? Found that one thing that is worthy of your one life?
Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “We succeed in life as in war, only as we are able to identify a single, over-riding objective, and then bend all other considerations to that one thing.”
What one thing overrides all other considerations in your life? What noble purpose has captured your spirit? What deep resolve beats in your heart? What great decision has won your full allegiance in life?
Assuming that you have indeed found it, let me now ask -- how’s it going? If you’ve been at it for any appreciable length of time then you know by now that the journey is no cake walk. It is not a stroll through the park on a blissful Sunday afternoon. No. The path has many turns – up turns and down turns, ditches on both sides, potholes aplenty, and mounds of debris inconveniently strewn all about.
There are setbacks that stall you, and obstacles that intimidate you. There are bystanders that deride you, backsliders that dismay you, and back-stabbers that dishearten you.
There are days when you walk with a company of passionate pilgrims who buoy your spirit with renewed aspiration, and then there are the days when you walk the lonesome valley all by yourself. Alone.
You, my friend, are on the Triumphant Trudge! To trudge, according to Webster, is “to walk steadily, and sometimes laboriously; but ever onward.” Isaiah’s poetry says it best, “They shall walk, and not faint.” That is, they shall not tire though the way at times be wearisome.
This will always be the case in every soul who follows Christ up Calvary’s mountain. Despite the trudge of each deliberate step, an unmistakable tone of triumph attends their every move – for each move is always onward, and ever upward. And the Lord who has gone victorious before us will welcome us with open arms on the day we cross over the finish line.
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“They shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Deep in the heart of every person is a passionate desire to know that he or she is fulfilling the purpose for which they have been placed here on this earth. Have you found it? Found that one thing that is worthy of your one life?
Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “We succeed in life as in war, only as we are able to identify a single, over-riding objective, and then bend all other considerations to that one thing.”
What one thing overrides all other considerations in your life? What noble purpose has captured your spirit? What deep resolve beats in your heart? What great decision has won your full allegiance in life?
Assuming that you have indeed found it, let me now ask -- how’s it going? If you’ve been at it for any appreciable length of time then you know by now that the journey is no cake walk. It is not a stroll through the park on a blissful Sunday afternoon. No. The path has many turns – up turns and down turns, ditches on both sides, potholes aplenty, and mounds of debris inconveniently strewn all about.
There are setbacks that stall you, and obstacles that intimidate you. There are bystanders that deride you, backsliders that dismay you, and back-stabbers that dishearten you.
There are days when you walk with a company of passionate pilgrims who buoy your spirit with renewed aspiration, and then there are the days when you walk the lonesome valley all by yourself. Alone.
You, my friend, are on the Triumphant Trudge! To trudge, according to Webster, is “to walk steadily, and sometimes laboriously; but ever onward.” Isaiah’s poetry says it best, “They shall walk, and not faint.” That is, they shall not tire though the way at times be wearisome.
This will always be the case in every soul who follows Christ up Calvary’s mountain. Despite the trudge of each deliberate step, an unmistakable tone of triumph attends their every move – for each move is always onward, and ever upward. And the Lord who has gone victorious before us will welcome us with open arms on the day we cross over the finish line.
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Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Power of Partnership (Part 3)
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“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
Partnership. It is often the single most determining factor in the difference between success and failure.
The apostle Paul’s happiest memories were of the Philippians, and his most joyful letter was written to them. They, more than any other Church, continually displayed the self-sacrificial generosity of Christ by freely partnering with Paul in his ministry.
“When I pray for you,” Paul wrote, “my heart is full of joy because of all your wonderful help in making known the Good News about Christ.” (Phil.1:3-4, NLT)
He continues by saying, “As you well know, when I first brought the Gospel to you and then went on my way, leaving Macedonia, only you Philippians became my partners in giving and receiving. No other church did this.” (ch.4:15)
And then Paul concludes, “I don't say this because I want a gift from you. What I want is for you to receive a well-earned reward because of your kindness and generosity.” (ch.4:17). One translation puts it, “it is not that I want to receive gifts from you, but I want you to have the good that comes from giving.”
The old King James call it “the fruit that abounds to your account” on the day the Lord returns!
May God give you the wonderful experience of being part of a team; using your unique talents and abilities in concert with others so that together you can accomplish what neither of you could do by yourselves alone.
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“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
Partnership. It is often the single most determining factor in the difference between success and failure.
The apostle Paul’s happiest memories were of the Philippians, and his most joyful letter was written to them. They, more than any other Church, continually displayed the self-sacrificial generosity of Christ by freely partnering with Paul in his ministry.
“When I pray for you,” Paul wrote, “my heart is full of joy because of all your wonderful help in making known the Good News about Christ.” (Phil.1:3-4, NLT)
He continues by saying, “As you well know, when I first brought the Gospel to you and then went on my way, leaving Macedonia, only you Philippians became my partners in giving and receiving. No other church did this.” (ch.4:15)
And then Paul concludes, “I don't say this because I want a gift from you. What I want is for you to receive a well-earned reward because of your kindness and generosity.” (ch.4:17). One translation puts it, “it is not that I want to receive gifts from you, but I want you to have the good that comes from giving.”
The old King James call it “the fruit that abounds to your account” on the day the Lord returns!
May God give you the wonderful experience of being part of a team; using your unique talents and abilities in concert with others so that together you can accomplish what neither of you could do by yourselves alone.
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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Power of Partnership (Part 2)
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“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
Partnership. It is often the single most determining factor in the difference between success and failure.
The apostle John wrote a brief and powerful letter to a friend named Gaius. Along with the affectionate greetings and basic instructions, John especially wanted to commend Gaius for his partnership with the traveling preachers who had passed his way.
“Dear friend,” he wrote, “you are doing a good work for God in taking care of the traveling teachers and missionaries who are passing through. They have told the church here of your friendship and your loving deeds. I am glad when you send them on their way with a generous gift. For they are traveling for the Lord and take neither food, clothing, shelter, nor money from those who are not Christians, even though they have preached to them. So we ourselves should take care of them in order that we may become partners with them in the Lord's work.” (3 John 1:5-8).
Five Point Summary from John’s Short Letter:
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“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
Partnership. It is often the single most determining factor in the difference between success and failure.
The apostle John wrote a brief and powerful letter to a friend named Gaius. Along with the affectionate greetings and basic instructions, John especially wanted to commend Gaius for his partnership with the traveling preachers who had passed his way.
“Dear friend,” he wrote, “you are doing a good work for God in taking care of the traveling teachers and missionaries who are passing through. They have told the church here of your friendship and your loving deeds. I am glad when you send them on their way with a generous gift. For they are traveling for the Lord and take neither food, clothing, shelter, nor money from those who are not Christians, even though they have preached to them. So we ourselves should take care of them in order that we may become partners with them in the Lord's work.” (3 John 1:5-8).
Five Point Summary from John’s Short Letter:
- It is a good work for God when individuals provide moral and financial support for traveling teachers and missionaries.
- The reports of such support are an example to the greater Body of Christ.
- It is a cause for gladness when they are sent on their journey with a generous gift.
- Generous individuals enable traveling ministers to be free from money-making commerce, and to focusing their time and energies in ministry.
- Those who give to ministry become partners in the Lord’s work, and share in the rewards.
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Monday, January 19, 2009
The Power of Partnership (Part 1)
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“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
Partnership. It is often the single most determining factor in the difference between success and failure.
Jesus illustrated the power of partnership when He “called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits” (Mark.6:7). The Lord understands our need for support, and the inherent difficulties and dangers of being alone in ministry.
In the beginning God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”
It is true to this day. In order to have any lasting effectiveness in countering the works of darkness with the power of truth and light we must not only be called by Christ, but also sent forth in partnership with others to do His will.
Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ec. 4:9-12).
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego proved the power of partnership when they withstood the threats of Nebuchadnezzar and survived the fiery furnace of Babylon. Eleazar, the son of Dodo, proved the power of partnership when he stood with David and the two defeated an entire Philistine army.
The idea of partnership is championed throughout Scripture. Moses had Aaron, and then Joshua. Joshua had Caleb. Ruth had Naomi; Esther had Mordecai; Aquila had Pricilla; Paul had Barnabas; and James had John.
You see, it takes teamwork to make the dream work. Whose Team are you on today?
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“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
Partnership. It is often the single most determining factor in the difference between success and failure.
Jesus illustrated the power of partnership when He “called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits” (Mark.6:7). The Lord understands our need for support, and the inherent difficulties and dangers of being alone in ministry.
In the beginning God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”
It is true to this day. In order to have any lasting effectiveness in countering the works of darkness with the power of truth and light we must not only be called by Christ, but also sent forth in partnership with others to do His will.
Solomon wrote, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ec. 4:9-12).
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego proved the power of partnership when they withstood the threats of Nebuchadnezzar and survived the fiery furnace of Babylon. Eleazar, the son of Dodo, proved the power of partnership when he stood with David and the two defeated an entire Philistine army.
The idea of partnership is championed throughout Scripture. Moses had Aaron, and then Joshua. Joshua had Caleb. Ruth had Naomi; Esther had Mordecai; Aquila had Pricilla; Paul had Barnabas; and James had John.
You see, it takes teamwork to make the dream work. Whose Team are you on today?
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Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Sure and Proven Way
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Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor GOD with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. (Proverbs 3:5-10, The Message).
This passage of scripture gives us the sure and proven way to a life of real significance and security. I encourage you to read this from as many different translations of the Bible you can find. And then to memorize it.
There is much here that is worthy of your full and undivided attention.
I assume you are a person who wants to hear God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; to be guided by Him into that which is best, and to be kept by Him from that which is worst. To stay on track when others are spinning out of control. Yes?
And I assume that you want to be healthy and vibrant; to live a full and meaningful life; to wake up in the morning with purpose, and go to sleep at night with satisfaction. Yes?
And I assume that you want to prosper in all things; that whatever you set your hand to do becomes successful and fulfilling? Yes?
Then this scripture is for you! Trust God in all things and at all times. Follow Him faithfully in each and every decision you make. Honor Him with your wealth by being generous towards others.
This is the sure and proven way. Wouldn't you like to navigate your life along its path? Yes?
Well, then do it! You will be glad you did....and so will everybody else around you.
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Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor GOD with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. (Proverbs 3:5-10, The Message).
This passage of scripture gives us the sure and proven way to a life of real significance and security. I encourage you to read this from as many different translations of the Bible you can find. And then to memorize it.
There is much here that is worthy of your full and undivided attention.
I assume you are a person who wants to hear God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; to be guided by Him into that which is best, and to be kept by Him from that which is worst. To stay on track when others are spinning out of control. Yes?
And I assume that you want to be healthy and vibrant; to live a full and meaningful life; to wake up in the morning with purpose, and go to sleep at night with satisfaction. Yes?
And I assume that you want to prosper in all things; that whatever you set your hand to do becomes successful and fulfilling? Yes?
Then this scripture is for you! Trust God in all things and at all times. Follow Him faithfully in each and every decision you make. Honor Him with your wealth by being generous towards others.
This is the sure and proven way. Wouldn't you like to navigate your life along its path? Yes?
Well, then do it! You will be glad you did....and so will everybody else around you.
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Saturday, January 17, 2009
Give Me Neither Poverty Nor Riches
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"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God" (Proverbs 30:8-9).
There is a place of provision that suits us. A place where we have neither too much, nor too little. But this place is not where many want to live. Instead we aspire to accumulating such a sizeable increase that we no longer have to worry about anything.
It's called a nest egg.
But we are not birds; we are people. Specifically, we are the people of God. The sheep of His pasture. Can we not trust Him to care for us? Must we be always on the hunt for more and more and more? And does this hunt so occupy our thoughts that it causes us to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to those around us who need what we have stored up for ourselves?
Isn't there something wrong with that?
And what will you do when you finally settle down into your nest egg and only then discover that it's not enough. Not only that, but that you've missed out on a life of extraordinary blessing and fulfillment?
Wouldn't you rather walk in unbroken friendship with Jesus, casting your cares upon Him and watching daily as He proves Himself to you over and over again? Wouldn't you rather be rich in faith, and radiant in generosity? Wouldn't you want your life to bring honor to His name by being a blessing to others around you?
Then let the Lord lead you into a balanced life, where daily bread sustains you beyond belief. He is the Lord -- and this is what He will do for you.
Fear God, not man. Trust God, not riches. Serve God, not self.
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"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God" (Proverbs 30:8-9).
There is a place of provision that suits us. A place where we have neither too much, nor too little. But this place is not where many want to live. Instead we aspire to accumulating such a sizeable increase that we no longer have to worry about anything.
It's called a nest egg.
But we are not birds; we are people. Specifically, we are the people of God. The sheep of His pasture. Can we not trust Him to care for us? Must we be always on the hunt for more and more and more? And does this hunt so occupy our thoughts that it causes us to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to those around us who need what we have stored up for ourselves?
Isn't there something wrong with that?
And what will you do when you finally settle down into your nest egg and only then discover that it's not enough. Not only that, but that you've missed out on a life of extraordinary blessing and fulfillment?
Wouldn't you rather walk in unbroken friendship with Jesus, casting your cares upon Him and watching daily as He proves Himself to you over and over again? Wouldn't you rather be rich in faith, and radiant in generosity? Wouldn't you want your life to bring honor to His name by being a blessing to others around you?
Then let the Lord lead you into a balanced life, where daily bread sustains you beyond belief. He is the Lord -- and this is what He will do for you.
Fear God, not man. Trust God, not riches. Serve God, not self.
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Friday, January 16, 2009
The Never-ending Chase for Never Enough
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"I will build me bigger barns." (Luke 12:18).
Yesterday we looked at the man with no name - a rich, young ruler who had it all -- but was still not satisfied. Today we look at another rich man, who is given the name, "Fool."
Faced with the dilemma of discovering that his riches were not enough to satisfy the deeper longings of his heart, he opted for building even bigger barns and increasing his stock and store. He wrongfully imagined that more would be enough to satisfy the ache in his soul.
He was wrong.
Jesus made it clear that one can accumulate great wealth in this world and still be a miserable wretch. The solution is to become, in the words of Jesus, "rich toward God."
Centuries earlier Solomon said, "I have see a great evil under the sun -- wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner" (Ecclesiastes 5:13). By gathering, and gathering, and gathering more a man will come to ruin in the things that matter most. Ultimately he will become possessed by his possessions.
But this is the best the world can teach us. "Get all you can! Can all you get! And then sit on the can!"
The Lord's way is not in gathering, but in giving.
Become a giver, rather than a collector; one who lays up treasure in heaven. That is the ultimate investment, and it pays eternal returns.
You can do it the world's way: GET, and get caught up in the never-ending chase for never enough. Or, you can do it God's way: GIVE, and find that there is no end to the measure of your peace and blessings!
.
"I will build me bigger barns." (Luke 12:18).
Yesterday we looked at the man with no name - a rich, young ruler who had it all -- but was still not satisfied. Today we look at another rich man, who is given the name, "Fool."
Faced with the dilemma of discovering that his riches were not enough to satisfy the deeper longings of his heart, he opted for building even bigger barns and increasing his stock and store. He wrongfully imagined that more would be enough to satisfy the ache in his soul.
He was wrong.
Jesus made it clear that one can accumulate great wealth in this world and still be a miserable wretch. The solution is to become, in the words of Jesus, "rich toward God."
Centuries earlier Solomon said, "I have see a great evil under the sun -- wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner" (Ecclesiastes 5:13). By gathering, and gathering, and gathering more a man will come to ruin in the things that matter most. Ultimately he will become possessed by his possessions.
But this is the best the world can teach us. "Get all you can! Can all you get! And then sit on the can!"
The Lord's way is not in gathering, but in giving.
Become a giver, rather than a collector; one who lays up treasure in heaven. That is the ultimate investment, and it pays eternal returns.
You can do it the world's way: GET, and get caught up in the never-ending chase for never enough. Or, you can do it God's way: GIVE, and find that there is no end to the measure of your peace and blessings!
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Thursday, January 15, 2009
A Good Name
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"A good name is to be desired above great riches." (Proverbs 22:1).
There is a man in the Bible whom we know much about -- but we do not know his name. He is simply referred to as "the rich young ruler." And here is what we know.
He was rich; secured with financial stability, and free from the anxiety of want. And he was young. His whole life lay before him; and, coupled with his wealth, the sky was the limit on what he could become, and achieve.
He was also a ruler. That means he held a position of power and influence. He was in charge, on top of things; always ready with a plan, an answer, a solution, or a new idea. We also know that he was devout. He was a good and decent man; a man of principle, and high morals. A man whose sense of duty to God and country kept him conscientious of his words and deeds.
So far, we know that he was rich, young, in charge, and devout. But we do not know his name. We do, however know two more things about this man.
First, despite the fact that he was rich, young, in charge, and devout -- we also know that he was unsatisfied with his life.
"Good Master," he said to Jesus, "what is it that I am lacking?" What a self-revealing question. And how true it is of so many who today possess wealth and position that, ever-present in the depths of their hearts is the gnawing realization that something is still missing.
When Jesus told the young man to give up everything he had and to come and follow Him, the nameless fellow could not do it. This brings us to the last thing we know about him -- He walked away from the Lord filled with sadness.
This was his life's defining moment -- an opportunity to walk into history with Jesus Christ. But he turned the offer down. And in so doing gave up a good and great name, which we surely would have known to this day had he said yes to Jesus. He would have been named among the favored followers of the Lord, and the exploits of his life would live on in the telling of the gospel story though all generations.
But he said no.
Well, I will leave you with this -- the offer is still on the table. Though this rich, young, ruling, devout, and unsatisfied man said no and walked away sad -- YOU can say yes. And we are all standing on tiptoe hoping that you will.
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"A good name is to be desired above great riches." (Proverbs 22:1).
There is a man in the Bible whom we know much about -- but we do not know his name. He is simply referred to as "the rich young ruler." And here is what we know.
He was rich; secured with financial stability, and free from the anxiety of want. And he was young. His whole life lay before him; and, coupled with his wealth, the sky was the limit on what he could become, and achieve.
He was also a ruler. That means he held a position of power and influence. He was in charge, on top of things; always ready with a plan, an answer, a solution, or a new idea. We also know that he was devout. He was a good and decent man; a man of principle, and high morals. A man whose sense of duty to God and country kept him conscientious of his words and deeds.
So far, we know that he was rich, young, in charge, and devout. But we do not know his name. We do, however know two more things about this man.
First, despite the fact that he was rich, young, in charge, and devout -- we also know that he was unsatisfied with his life.
"Good Master," he said to Jesus, "what is it that I am lacking?" What a self-revealing question. And how true it is of so many who today possess wealth and position that, ever-present in the depths of their hearts is the gnawing realization that something is still missing.
When Jesus told the young man to give up everything he had and to come and follow Him, the nameless fellow could not do it. This brings us to the last thing we know about him -- He walked away from the Lord filled with sadness.
This was his life's defining moment -- an opportunity to walk into history with Jesus Christ. But he turned the offer down. And in so doing gave up a good and great name, which we surely would have known to this day had he said yes to Jesus. He would have been named among the favored followers of the Lord, and the exploits of his life would live on in the telling of the gospel story though all generations.
But he said no.
Well, I will leave you with this -- the offer is still on the table. Though this rich, young, ruling, devout, and unsatisfied man said no and walked away sad -- YOU can say yes. And we are all standing on tiptoe hoping that you will.
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A Sound That Cannot Be Ignored
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"Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” (Ezra 3:11).
The Hebrew words translated “shouted with a great shout” literally mean -- “an ear-piercing, great noise; a sound that cannot be ignored.” A mighty roar rose from the multitudes gathered in Jerusalem. It was far more that a hearty “hip-hip-hoorah!” For mixed within the shouts of joy were also wails of lamentation. Many of the priests and Levites, old men who had seen the first temple, “wept with a loud voice”(vs.12).
The Bible says, “the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off”(vs.13).
This seems much like what is before us today. Many people are shouting for joy at the Lord’s visitation, while many others, especially religious leaders, are mourning in sorrow that it is not as it used to be. And the mixture of the shout is heard afar.
From the hallowed halls of the ancient cathedrals of Great Britain to the make-shift gymnasium-churches of modern America; from football stadiums filled with men seeking to be promise keepers, to home Bible studies seeking to know better what the promises are; from down under to over yonder, and all points in between -- there is a mixed sound to be heard in the Body of Christ.
Whether you are laughing or crying, one thing is certain -- it is a sound that cannot be ignored!
The undeniable sound leads us to an unmistakable conclusion -- God is up to something special in our day! The sound, though indiscernible, is nevertheless a glorious sign of life. We are being redeemed from Babylon! We are rebuilding the house of the Lord! Our enemies are being stirred with the fear of our God!
Hold the course, keep the faith, finish the race! The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former, and the Lord will be glorified.
May God raise the standard among us, and call forth preachers, priests and prophets to help us carry the work onward and upward. Then it will be said, “Clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph!”
And that will be a sound that cannot be ignored!
.
"Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” (Ezra 3:11).
The Hebrew words translated “shouted with a great shout” literally mean -- “an ear-piercing, great noise; a sound that cannot be ignored.” A mighty roar rose from the multitudes gathered in Jerusalem. It was far more that a hearty “hip-hip-hoorah!” For mixed within the shouts of joy were also wails of lamentation. Many of the priests and Levites, old men who had seen the first temple, “wept with a loud voice”(vs.12).
The Bible says, “the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off”(vs.13).
This seems much like what is before us today. Many people are shouting for joy at the Lord’s visitation, while many others, especially religious leaders, are mourning in sorrow that it is not as it used to be. And the mixture of the shout is heard afar.
From the hallowed halls of the ancient cathedrals of Great Britain to the make-shift gymnasium-churches of modern America; from football stadiums filled with men seeking to be promise keepers, to home Bible studies seeking to know better what the promises are; from down under to over yonder, and all points in between -- there is a mixed sound to be heard in the Body of Christ.
Whether you are laughing or crying, one thing is certain -- it is a sound that cannot be ignored!
The undeniable sound leads us to an unmistakable conclusion -- God is up to something special in our day! The sound, though indiscernible, is nevertheless a glorious sign of life. We are being redeemed from Babylon! We are rebuilding the house of the Lord! Our enemies are being stirred with the fear of our God!
Hold the course, keep the faith, finish the race! The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former, and the Lord will be glorified.
May God raise the standard among us, and call forth preachers, priests and prophets to help us carry the work onward and upward. Then it will be said, “Clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph!”
And that will be a sound that cannot be ignored!
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Famine of Catastrophic Consequence
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"Oh yes, Judgment Day is coming!" These are the words of my Master GOD. "I'll send a famine through the whole country. It won't be food or water that's lacking, but my Word. People will drift from one end of the country to the other, roam to the north, wander to the east. They'll go anywhere, listen to anyone, hoping to hear God’s Word--but they won't hear it. (Amos 8:11-12).
It's not like there isn't any preaching going on -- the pulpits are full every week, and the airwaves are saturated with Brother and Sister So-and-So. Television, Radio, Internet, Podcasts, and every other form of mass communication conceivable is loaded like a pickup in Pakistan with hawkers of holiness in one form or another.
But where exactly in all of this is The Word of The Lord?
There are speakers galore, but what is the LORD saying? The Psalmist wondered the same in his day, “There's not a sign or symbol of God in sight, nor anyone to speak in his name, no one who knows what's going on." (Psalm 74:9).
By the way, have you noticed the conspicuous absence of the Bible in most of our church meetings? Not only there, but also in most of our seminars and conferences, and in our revival meetings? It would seem that the Bible is no longer the cherished Book.
In our fast-track world we have shifted to power-point snippets of scripture, and story-telling instead of preaching the Word. Running to and fro, here and there, looking earnestly for that next Big Buzz -- anything with a hint of something sensational to touch our lifeless souls.
We need a word from the Lord, for where the Word of a King is there is power. Not pretend power; not hype-power; not fame-grabbing, money-making power; not shouting-at-the-devil power -- but real power.
The kind of spiritual and moral power that converts, corrects, confronts, cleanses, and needs no commercials to spread its influence.
In a day of famine, we need a word from God.
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"Oh yes, Judgment Day is coming!" These are the words of my Master GOD. "I'll send a famine through the whole country. It won't be food or water that's lacking, but my Word. People will drift from one end of the country to the other, roam to the north, wander to the east. They'll go anywhere, listen to anyone, hoping to hear God’s Word--but they won't hear it. (Amos 8:11-12).
It's not like there isn't any preaching going on -- the pulpits are full every week, and the airwaves are saturated with Brother and Sister So-and-So. Television, Radio, Internet, Podcasts, and every other form of mass communication conceivable is loaded like a pickup in Pakistan with hawkers of holiness in one form or another.
But where exactly in all of this is The Word of The Lord?
There are speakers galore, but what is the LORD saying? The Psalmist wondered the same in his day, “There's not a sign or symbol of God in sight, nor anyone to speak in his name, no one who knows what's going on." (Psalm 74:9).
By the way, have you noticed the conspicuous absence of the Bible in most of our church meetings? Not only there, but also in most of our seminars and conferences, and in our revival meetings? It would seem that the Bible is no longer the cherished Book.
In our fast-track world we have shifted to power-point snippets of scripture, and story-telling instead of preaching the Word. Running to and fro, here and there, looking earnestly for that next Big Buzz -- anything with a hint of something sensational to touch our lifeless souls.
We need a word from the Lord, for where the Word of a King is there is power. Not pretend power; not hype-power; not fame-grabbing, money-making power; not shouting-at-the-devil power -- but real power.
The kind of spiritual and moral power that converts, corrects, confronts, cleanses, and needs no commercials to spread its influence.
In a day of famine, we need a word from God.
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Monday, January 12, 2009
If Ever There Was a Time
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“He stood between those who had died and those who were still alive, and the plague stopped.” (Numbers 16:48).
“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” So wrote Charles E. Weller in 1867, as a simple exercise in warming up his fingers for using a new-fangled invention called the typewriter. Little could he have known how perpetually relevant this spontaneous and unadorned sentence would be through the decades.
Certainly no one can fail to see its timeliness for us today.
Some fifty years ago A. W. Tozer wrote, “In times of extraordinary crisis ordinary measures will not suffice. The world lives in such a time of crisis. Christians alone are in a position to rescue the perishing. We dare not settle down to try to live as if things were normal."
Yet it seems as though we may have done just that.
If ever there was a time for we who profess faith in Christ, who are by His own pronouncement “the salt of the earth, the light of the world, a city set on a hill” – if ever there was a time to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven, it is now.
If ever there was a time to do all things without murmuring and disputing, so that we might be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation, it is now.
If ever there was a time for the redeemed of the Lord to say so, it is now.
If ever there was a time to stir up the gift that is in us, no longer ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor drawing back for fear of rejection and ridicule, it is now.
If ever there was a time to hold fast the pattern of sound words, standing in the grace of Christ and enduring hardships as good soldiers, it is now. If ever there was a time to shun profane and vain babbling's, and to flee youthful lusts, it is now.
If ever there was a time for diligence in presenting our case for Christ with dignity, it is now. If ever there was a time for private piety to become public virtue, it is now.
.
“He stood between those who had died and those who were still alive, and the plague stopped.” (Numbers 16:48).
“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” So wrote Charles E. Weller in 1867, as a simple exercise in warming up his fingers for using a new-fangled invention called the typewriter. Little could he have known how perpetually relevant this spontaneous and unadorned sentence would be through the decades.
Certainly no one can fail to see its timeliness for us today.
Some fifty years ago A. W. Tozer wrote, “In times of extraordinary crisis ordinary measures will not suffice. The world lives in such a time of crisis. Christians alone are in a position to rescue the perishing. We dare not settle down to try to live as if things were normal."
Yet it seems as though we may have done just that.
If ever there was a time for we who profess faith in Christ, who are by His own pronouncement “the salt of the earth, the light of the world, a city set on a hill” – if ever there was a time to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven, it is now.
If ever there was a time to do all things without murmuring and disputing, so that we might be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation, it is now.
If ever there was a time for the redeemed of the Lord to say so, it is now.
If ever there was a time to stir up the gift that is in us, no longer ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor drawing back for fear of rejection and ridicule, it is now.
If ever there was a time to hold fast the pattern of sound words, standing in the grace of Christ and enduring hardships as good soldiers, it is now. If ever there was a time to shun profane and vain babbling's, and to flee youthful lusts, it is now.
If ever there was a time for diligence in presenting our case for Christ with dignity, it is now. If ever there was a time for private piety to become public virtue, it is now.
.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!"
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"Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied." (Proverbs 27:20).
The Contemporary English Bible puts it this way, "Death and the grave are never satisfied, and neither are we." There is something in us that is like Death and the Grave; it's the never-satisfied appetite for more and more.
That is a rather disturbing comparison, don't you think?
The Proverbs go on in another place to expound on this theme. "A leech has twin daughters named "Gimme" and "Gimme more." Three things are never satisfied, no, there are four that never say, "That's enough, thank you!"-- hell, a barren womb, a parched land, a forest fire." (Pro 30:15-16, Message).
The greed in man's heart is like each of these things -- death, hell, a barren womb, a parched land, a forset fire, and a bucket of leeches. Never satisfied! Forever wanting more and more, and never able to say "Enough!"
Tolstoy tells of a farmer who had a lust for more and more land. Finally he heard of cheap land among the Bashkirs. He sold all he had, made a long journey to their territory, and arranged a deal with them. For one thousand rubles he could buy all the land he could walk around in one day.
The next morning he set out and walked far in one direction and then turned left. He made many detours to include extra areas of good soil. By the time he made his last turn, he realized he had gone too far. He ran as fast as possible to get back to the starting point before sunset.
Faster and faster he ran and finally staggered and fell across the starting point just as the sun set. He lay there dead. They buried him in a small hole, all the land he needed.
More times than not when you want something so bad you cannot stand not having it -- once you do get it, you find that it is not really what you wanted after all. In fact, rather than being a blessing to you -- it becomes a curse.
Guard you heart from lusting for more and more -- for you just might become swallowed up by the very thing you are chasing after.
.
"Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied." (Proverbs 27:20).
The Contemporary English Bible puts it this way, "Death and the grave are never satisfied, and neither are we." There is something in us that is like Death and the Grave; it's the never-satisfied appetite for more and more.
That is a rather disturbing comparison, don't you think?
The Proverbs go on in another place to expound on this theme. "A leech has twin daughters named "Gimme" and "Gimme more." Three things are never satisfied, no, there are four that never say, "That's enough, thank you!"-- hell, a barren womb, a parched land, a forest fire." (Pro 30:15-16, Message).
The greed in man's heart is like each of these things -- death, hell, a barren womb, a parched land, a forset fire, and a bucket of leeches. Never satisfied! Forever wanting more and more, and never able to say "Enough!"
Tolstoy tells of a farmer who had a lust for more and more land. Finally he heard of cheap land among the Bashkirs. He sold all he had, made a long journey to their territory, and arranged a deal with them. For one thousand rubles he could buy all the land he could walk around in one day.
The next morning he set out and walked far in one direction and then turned left. He made many detours to include extra areas of good soil. By the time he made his last turn, he realized he had gone too far. He ran as fast as possible to get back to the starting point before sunset.
Faster and faster he ran and finally staggered and fell across the starting point just as the sun set. He lay there dead. They buried him in a small hole, all the land he needed.
More times than not when you want something so bad you cannot stand not having it -- once you do get it, you find that it is not really what you wanted after all. In fact, rather than being a blessing to you -- it becomes a curse.
Guard you heart from lusting for more and more -- for you just might become swallowed up by the very thing you are chasing after.
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Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Church of Yippie Yahoo!
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“Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere.” (Matthew 24:24, The Message).
There is much talk these days about mighty revivals that are happening here and there, now and then -- yet nothing seems to be changing really. In an objective analysis, these heated moments are limited in scope, short-lived in notoriety, and superficial in influence. It's the difference between a geyser and a river. Geysers are fun and spectacular; but rivers sustain life.
These outpourings come suddenly, and fade quietly away after enough people have handled the wares. The roll call continues to grow -- Kansas City, Toronto, Pensacola, Brownsville, and Lakeland. What city will the circus visit next? Where next will the Church of Yippee Yahoo be holding a meeting?
Is this revival? Really?
It looks more like a super-sale where scores line up and wait for the doors to open, and then rush the table to get the deal of a life-time, and then make sure that everybody else knows every detail of how they managed to do so. After a short sensational burst, the sales begins to wane.
Latecomers find the sales tables in a mess, with remnants scattered here and there; odd items of unmatched clothes, and few ties that won't go with any suit. Soon the whole affair is discarded, as the shoppers scour the ads for the next Big Sale.
Is this the best we can do? Here and there; now and then? What we need is a true and lasting move of God’s Spirit across the land, unsensational and without fanfare; one that turns men’s hearts in repentance and faith, and unleashes a work of grace that repairs the breaches and heals the broken.
And when that happens we really will say, “Yippee Yahoo!”
.
“Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere.” (Matthew 24:24, The Message).
There is much talk these days about mighty revivals that are happening here and there, now and then -- yet nothing seems to be changing really. In an objective analysis, these heated moments are limited in scope, short-lived in notoriety, and superficial in influence. It's the difference between a geyser and a river. Geysers are fun and spectacular; but rivers sustain life.
These outpourings come suddenly, and fade quietly away after enough people have handled the wares. The roll call continues to grow -- Kansas City, Toronto, Pensacola, Brownsville, and Lakeland. What city will the circus visit next? Where next will the Church of Yippee Yahoo be holding a meeting?
Is this revival? Really?
It looks more like a super-sale where scores line up and wait for the doors to open, and then rush the table to get the deal of a life-time, and then make sure that everybody else knows every detail of how they managed to do so. After a short sensational burst, the sales begins to wane.
Latecomers find the sales tables in a mess, with remnants scattered here and there; odd items of unmatched clothes, and few ties that won't go with any suit. Soon the whole affair is discarded, as the shoppers scour the ads for the next Big Sale.
Is this the best we can do? Here and there; now and then? What we need is a true and lasting move of God’s Spirit across the land, unsensational and without fanfare; one that turns men’s hearts in repentance and faith, and unleashes a work of grace that repairs the breaches and heals the broken.
And when that happens we really will say, “Yippee Yahoo!”
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Friday, January 09, 2009
The NOW Thing (Part 2)
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"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2Corinthians 5:20).
Did you catch that? NOW then we are ambassadors for Christ. That's a NOW thing. It's not something you are going to be -- it is what you are right now. Whatever else God may do, and whenever, or wherever else He may decide to do it -- THIS is one thing that He is always doing NOW.
And exactly what is it? Using men and women just like us, unseen and often unappreciated, to become expressions of His light and love in a world overcrowded with darkness and dejection.
Imagine an underground river that flows incessantly in its course, unseen and unappreciated, but nevertheless supplying life and power to all within its sphere of influence. Such is the Kingdom of God in today's desert world.
Now imagine that on occasion, unpredictable and unexpected, the pressure of the water -- silent in its underground channels -- suddenly bursts forth above ground in a spectacular geyser that douses everybody in a downpour. The Kingdom of God is also like that.
But while the geysers come and go, the river continues steady and unceasing in its underground flow. We would be foolish to camp by the geyser hole, waiting for another eruption, and miss out on the constancy of the river -- which is forever the Now Thing that God is doing.
Yes, we rightly rejoice in what God has done, and we certainly fix our hope upon what God will do. But Jesus said, "I only do what I see the Father doing."
That's the key to living in the Kingdom right NOW.
.
"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2Corinthians 5:20).
Did you catch that? NOW then we are ambassadors for Christ. That's a NOW thing. It's not something you are going to be -- it is what you are right now. Whatever else God may do, and whenever, or wherever else He may decide to do it -- THIS is one thing that He is always doing NOW.
And exactly what is it? Using men and women just like us, unseen and often unappreciated, to become expressions of His light and love in a world overcrowded with darkness and dejection.
Imagine an underground river that flows incessantly in its course, unseen and unappreciated, but nevertheless supplying life and power to all within its sphere of influence. Such is the Kingdom of God in today's desert world.
Now imagine that on occasion, unpredictable and unexpected, the pressure of the water -- silent in its underground channels -- suddenly bursts forth above ground in a spectacular geyser that douses everybody in a downpour. The Kingdom of God is also like that.
But while the geysers come and go, the river continues steady and unceasing in its underground flow. We would be foolish to camp by the geyser hole, waiting for another eruption, and miss out on the constancy of the river -- which is forever the Now Thing that God is doing.
Yes, we rightly rejoice in what God has done, and we certainly fix our hope upon what God will do. But Jesus said, "I only do what I see the Father doing."
That's the key to living in the Kingdom right NOW.
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Thursday, January 08, 2009
The NOW Thing (Part 1)
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"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:19).
The pace of our lives seems to be increasing faster and faster. We are in such a rush from here to there that we really aren't even here at all. Our conversations are marked with vacant stares as our minds race ahead to what's next. The next blockbuster movie, the next American Idol, the next American President, the next world crisis, the next scientific breakthrough, the next natural catastrophe, the next scandalous preacher -- and so on and so on and so on.
"What's the next big thing that God will do?" a friend recently asked me.
The question reveals our predisposition to a faith that is defined by events, rather than by relationship. We are not completely at fault in this, because God certainly does eventful things in our lives, as in all the world. So the conditioning toward this is understandable.
However, we must guard against looking for the next thing so much that we miss out on the now thing.
And I will tell you what that is tomorrow!
.
"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:19).
The pace of our lives seems to be increasing faster and faster. We are in such a rush from here to there that we really aren't even here at all. Our conversations are marked with vacant stares as our minds race ahead to what's next. The next blockbuster movie, the next American Idol, the next American President, the next world crisis, the next scientific breakthrough, the next natural catastrophe, the next scandalous preacher -- and so on and so on and so on.
"What's the next big thing that God will do?" a friend recently asked me.
The question reveals our predisposition to a faith that is defined by events, rather than by relationship. We are not completely at fault in this, because God certainly does eventful things in our lives, as in all the world. So the conditioning toward this is understandable.
However, we must guard against looking for the next thing so much that we miss out on the now thing.
And I will tell you what that is tomorrow!
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Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Answer the Call
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“And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it.” (Colossians 4:17).
Have you ever been in a place where the phone kept ringing and nobody answered it? In moments like that it seems everybody is busy with something else, assuming that somebody else will answer the call. But nobody does. After awhile it can get to be quite annoying. There is something irritating about an incessant, unanswered call.
Over the years I have noticed a similar thing in the lives of many people – a call that is not being answered. A call from God. Busy with so many other things, and sure that the call is for someone else, many loose themselves in trifling moments and miss the momentous opportunity to answer the call of God on their lives.
One of the greatest fears people face is having lived a meaningless life; a life that didn’t matter; a life that made no difference. It is a dreadful thought that haunts even the most accomplished of individuals.
Indeed, few things could be more unsettling than to get to the end of one’s life, cast a cautious glance back over time and discover what has been suspected all along, “My life didn’t matter!” Each of us long to know that our lives counted; that we accomplished what we were put on this earth to do. We want to maximize every opportunity, seize the day, and live life to its fullest.
Yet, in an odd contradiction, nothing is more common than unrealized potential. Most of us settle for far less than we are capable of being, and of doing. On the one hand we want our lives to count; on the other hand, we seem far too willing to become marginalized into mediocrity. Our only hope is to answer the call of God upon our lives.
Abraham traveling into the unknown, Joseph remaining faithful in Egypt, Moses crossing the Red Sea, Joshua conquering the Promised Land, David slaying a Giant and becoming a King, Isaiah telling his visions, Zechariah telling his dreams, Daniel in the Lion’s den, Nehemiah rebuilding the Walls, Zerubbabel rebuilding the Temple, Simon Peter leaving his fishing nets, Paul preaching the Gospel, John writing the Revelation ~ each one answered the call. They heard God’s voice and followed Him with trusting hearts.
And now it’s your turn.
Answer the call. Please!
.
“And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it.” (Colossians 4:17).
Have you ever been in a place where the phone kept ringing and nobody answered it? In moments like that it seems everybody is busy with something else, assuming that somebody else will answer the call. But nobody does. After awhile it can get to be quite annoying. There is something irritating about an incessant, unanswered call.
Over the years I have noticed a similar thing in the lives of many people – a call that is not being answered. A call from God. Busy with so many other things, and sure that the call is for someone else, many loose themselves in trifling moments and miss the momentous opportunity to answer the call of God on their lives.
One of the greatest fears people face is having lived a meaningless life; a life that didn’t matter; a life that made no difference. It is a dreadful thought that haunts even the most accomplished of individuals.
Indeed, few things could be more unsettling than to get to the end of one’s life, cast a cautious glance back over time and discover what has been suspected all along, “My life didn’t matter!” Each of us long to know that our lives counted; that we accomplished what we were put on this earth to do. We want to maximize every opportunity, seize the day, and live life to its fullest.
Yet, in an odd contradiction, nothing is more common than unrealized potential. Most of us settle for far less than we are capable of being, and of doing. On the one hand we want our lives to count; on the other hand, we seem far too willing to become marginalized into mediocrity. Our only hope is to answer the call of God upon our lives.
Abraham traveling into the unknown, Joseph remaining faithful in Egypt, Moses crossing the Red Sea, Joshua conquering the Promised Land, David slaying a Giant and becoming a King, Isaiah telling his visions, Zechariah telling his dreams, Daniel in the Lion’s den, Nehemiah rebuilding the Walls, Zerubbabel rebuilding the Temple, Simon Peter leaving his fishing nets, Paul preaching the Gospel, John writing the Revelation ~ each one answered the call. They heard God’s voice and followed Him with trusting hearts.
And now it’s your turn.
Answer the call. Please!
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Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Great is Thy Faithfulness
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"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." (Lam 3:21-23).
It merits more than a passing thought to note that one of the greatest Hymns of faith was inspired by a single text in one of the saddest books in the Bible -- the Lamentations of Jeremiah. The City of Jerusalem, once adorned as a Bride waiting for her groom, now is cast as a bereaved widow; a princess who has become a slave.
And yet, when all hope seemed lost, and gloom loomed on the horizon -- it is then and there we are given these enduring words: "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
And these words inspired Thomas Chilsolm to pen what has become one of the most beloved worship songs ever lifted up by any congregation.
Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be!
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see!
All I have needed Thine hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, Mercy and Love!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine Own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow;
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see!
All I have needed Thine hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
.
"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." (Lam 3:21-23).
It merits more than a passing thought to note that one of the greatest Hymns of faith was inspired by a single text in one of the saddest books in the Bible -- the Lamentations of Jeremiah. The City of Jerusalem, once adorned as a Bride waiting for her groom, now is cast as a bereaved widow; a princess who has become a slave.
And yet, when all hope seemed lost, and gloom loomed on the horizon -- it is then and there we are given these enduring words: "This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
And these words inspired Thomas Chilsolm to pen what has become one of the most beloved worship songs ever lifted up by any congregation.
Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be!
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see!
All I have needed Thine hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, Mercy and Love!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine Own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow;
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see!
All I have needed Thine hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
.
Monday, January 05, 2009
The Faithful God (Part 2)
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“They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” (Joshua 5:12).
Joshua was born a captive in Egypt, and as a young boy watched with wonder as God parted the Red Sea and made a way in the wilderness. He was with Moses as a young man throughout the wilderness wanderings, all the while being groomed by God for his future assignment.
Perhaps, as He did with Joshua, even now the Lord is grooming you for some future mission.
It was Joshua who led the spies into the Promised Land and saw for himself what others only dreamed about. He alone, with Caleb, argued the case for Faith when all others caved in to doubt, fear, and unbelief. And it was Joshua, the man of faith, whom God anointed to lead the children of Israel into Canaan to experience the fulfillment of promises made by the Faithful God.
These recollections serve as a great encouragement to us today as we face a similar opportunities for making progress in the things of God. Just as the Lord rescued His people from Egyptian bondage, so He has marked us by His love and redeemed us unto Himself out of the fallen and faulted world system, wherein we were held captive under the heavy hand of task-masters who drove us with whip and stick in the lustful pursuit of power, sex, and money.
Our lives were marred by corruption, stained with shame, and marked for death. But God, who is rich in mercy and unfailing in His faithfulness, redeemed us!
And now the Faithful God stands before us, and beckons us to follow Him onward and He takes us inward that we might go upward.
The challenges are not over, nor are the changes complete, but our hearts are lifted with a sense of imminent breakthroughs; things oft dreamed about, and long-awaited, seem to be so very close at hand. The smell of rain is in the air.
Come, friend, take heart and renew your trust in the Faithful God. For it will be said of us as it was of our predecessors -- "They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year” (Jos.5:12).
From Egyptian bondage, through desert dryness and testing, to a land that flowed with milk and honey -- the Faithful God has ever been there for us, as He was with them.
.
“They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” (Joshua 5:12).
Joshua was born a captive in Egypt, and as a young boy watched with wonder as God parted the Red Sea and made a way in the wilderness. He was with Moses as a young man throughout the wilderness wanderings, all the while being groomed by God for his future assignment.
Perhaps, as He did with Joshua, even now the Lord is grooming you for some future mission.
It was Joshua who led the spies into the Promised Land and saw for himself what others only dreamed about. He alone, with Caleb, argued the case for Faith when all others caved in to doubt, fear, and unbelief. And it was Joshua, the man of faith, whom God anointed to lead the children of Israel into Canaan to experience the fulfillment of promises made by the Faithful God.
These recollections serve as a great encouragement to us today as we face a similar opportunities for making progress in the things of God. Just as the Lord rescued His people from Egyptian bondage, so He has marked us by His love and redeemed us unto Himself out of the fallen and faulted world system, wherein we were held captive under the heavy hand of task-masters who drove us with whip and stick in the lustful pursuit of power, sex, and money.
Our lives were marred by corruption, stained with shame, and marked for death. But God, who is rich in mercy and unfailing in His faithfulness, redeemed us!
And now the Faithful God stands before us, and beckons us to follow Him onward and He takes us inward that we might go upward.
The challenges are not over, nor are the changes complete, but our hearts are lifted with a sense of imminent breakthroughs; things oft dreamed about, and long-awaited, seem to be so very close at hand. The smell of rain is in the air.
Come, friend, take heart and renew your trust in the Faithful God. For it will be said of us as it was of our predecessors -- "They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year” (Jos.5:12).
From Egyptian bondage, through desert dryness and testing, to a land that flowed with milk and honey -- the Faithful God has ever been there for us, as He was with them.
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Sunday, January 04, 2009
The Faithful God (Part 1)
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“They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” (Joshua 5:12).
We have each traveled a long and laborious pathway during these past few years as the World and the Church have both undergone unprecedented challenge and change. It seems that everything that can be shaken is being shaken, and ultimately only those things that are unshakable will remain.
O, to us may grace be given to stand in the unshakable Kingdom.
Sadly, some have not made the journey. Having been turned aside by the lure of lesser things, or backed down by the threat of difficult things, or held captive by the hollow hope of nostalgic things -- not all who started out on this trek have made it this far. We look around and they are gone.
“Demas hath forsaken me,” wrote the apostle Paul, “having loved this present world” (2 Tim.4:10).
But not all who are gone from us have fallen. There are those happy souls who have finished their race with joy and been transported to the City, whose builder and maker is God; and we rejoice with them as we hope for heaven ourselves. And our hope is not in vain, nor will our longings be left unrewarded. For we are neither lethargic nor nostalgic; we are full of life and filled with dreams.
Today belongs to those who live by a faith that sees beyond the limitations of human reason and effort; a faith that trusts in the unfailing love of the Faithful God who alone has brought us safe thus far; and who alone will carry us all the way to our Hope of Glory.
Joshua serves as a splendid example of those who survive and prevail by placing their faith in the Faithful God....
And we will look at him in detail tomorrow.
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“They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” (Joshua 5:12).
We have each traveled a long and laborious pathway during these past few years as the World and the Church have both undergone unprecedented challenge and change. It seems that everything that can be shaken is being shaken, and ultimately only those things that are unshakable will remain.
O, to us may grace be given to stand in the unshakable Kingdom.
Sadly, some have not made the journey. Having been turned aside by the lure of lesser things, or backed down by the threat of difficult things, or held captive by the hollow hope of nostalgic things -- not all who started out on this trek have made it this far. We look around and they are gone.
“Demas hath forsaken me,” wrote the apostle Paul, “having loved this present world” (2 Tim.4:10).
But not all who are gone from us have fallen. There are those happy souls who have finished their race with joy and been transported to the City, whose builder and maker is God; and we rejoice with them as we hope for heaven ourselves. And our hope is not in vain, nor will our longings be left unrewarded. For we are neither lethargic nor nostalgic; we are full of life and filled with dreams.
Today belongs to those who live by a faith that sees beyond the limitations of human reason and effort; a faith that trusts in the unfailing love of the Faithful God who alone has brought us safe thus far; and who alone will carry us all the way to our Hope of Glory.
Joshua serves as a splendid example of those who survive and prevail by placing their faith in the Faithful God....
And we will look at him in detail tomorrow.
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Saturday, January 03, 2009
No End in Sight
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"Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end....from henceforth even forever." (Isaiah 9:7).
Jesus is Lord. He rules in heave, on earth, and below. There is no kingdom, power, nor authority anywhere that trumps Him. As one poet said, "He has walked by the graveside of earth's fallen kings who opposed Him, and yet He still reigneth."
He reigns in the affairs of men, and rules over all things that occur. There is nothing anywhere that usurps His authority nor exceeds His power to handle. He works all things after the counsel of His will, and causes things, whether good or bad, to work together for our good in all thing at all times.
There is no end to His love, no end to His power, no end to His goodness, and no end to His kingdom. No end in sight -- nor even beyond that!!
And for any man or woman, boy or girl, who has received this King into their heart -- though it be fractured into many pieces -- a promise is made by God that of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.
Government is what Christ brings to our discarded souls, and Peace is what results when He reigns in our lives.
Would you know this peace of which I speak? Then yield your heart to the government of Christ over your affections, your appetites, your ambitions, your aspirations, and even your aggravations. And you will experience what only the Prince of Peace can give you.
Peace, Love and Joy -- with no end in sight.....EVER!
RYLISM UPDATE: For those of you who use e-sword as your Bible software, you can down download the entire collection of 2008 Rylism devotionals totally FREE! Go to http://www.e-sword.net/devotions.html. If you don't use e-sword, try it out. Download the program first, and then install the many resources that come with it -- FREE!
.
"Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end....from henceforth even forever." (Isaiah 9:7).
Jesus is Lord. He rules in heave, on earth, and below. There is no kingdom, power, nor authority anywhere that trumps Him. As one poet said, "He has walked by the graveside of earth's fallen kings who opposed Him, and yet He still reigneth."
He reigns in the affairs of men, and rules over all things that occur. There is nothing anywhere that usurps His authority nor exceeds His power to handle. He works all things after the counsel of His will, and causes things, whether good or bad, to work together for our good in all thing at all times.
There is no end to His love, no end to His power, no end to His goodness, and no end to His kingdom. No end in sight -- nor even beyond that!!
And for any man or woman, boy or girl, who has received this King into their heart -- though it be fractured into many pieces -- a promise is made by God that of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.
Government is what Christ brings to our discarded souls, and Peace is what results when He reigns in our lives.
Would you know this peace of which I speak? Then yield your heart to the government of Christ over your affections, your appetites, your ambitions, your aspirations, and even your aggravations. And you will experience what only the Prince of Peace can give you.
Peace, Love and Joy -- with no end in sight.....EVER!
RYLISM UPDATE: For those of you who use e-sword as your Bible software, you can down download the entire collection of 2008 Rylism devotionals totally FREE! Go to http://www.e-sword.net/devotions.html. If you don't use e-sword, try it out. Download the program first, and then install the many resources that come with it -- FREE!
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Friday, January 02, 2009
Nothing Will Stop Him Now
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"And Jesus went about all Galilee -- preaching the gospel of the kingdom." (Matthew 4:23).
Once Jesus settled in at Capernaum, establishing a base of operations, He then launched a campaign of conquest that will never be rivaled. For He did not seek lands or titles; His was not an egotistical desire for fame or wealth, or for power and honor.
No; rather He came to conquer the heart of mankind; conquer and convert it back to its original passion -- a full, free, and fantastic friendship with God Almighty!
Centuries earlier the prophet Isaiah had looked forward by faith and spoke concerning the Lord Jesus, who was yet to come, saying, "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end....from henceforth even forever." (Isaiah 9:7).
This great prophecy emboldens our belief that good will most certainly triumph over evil, despite the many things which seem to suggest the exact opposite in these violent days. Tune into any news channel and see how inundated we are with unbridled passion, unimaginable decadence, and unbelievable cruelty.
Nevertheless, when evil sits upon the throne and the streets of nations are filled with foolhardy acts of immorality and injustice -- we take heart in knowing there is a Kingdom which is greater than these fleeting empires.
It is the Kingdom of our God, and of His Christ. And nothing will stop Him now, for of the increase of His government and peace -- there shall be no end.
"And Jesus went about all Galilee -- preaching the gospel of the kingdom." (Matthew 4:23).
Once Jesus settled in at Capernaum, establishing a base of operations, He then launched a campaign of conquest that will never be rivaled. For He did not seek lands or titles; His was not an egotistical desire for fame or wealth, or for power and honor.
No; rather He came to conquer the heart of mankind; conquer and convert it back to its original passion -- a full, free, and fantastic friendship with God Almighty!
Centuries earlier the prophet Isaiah had looked forward by faith and spoke concerning the Lord Jesus, who was yet to come, saying, "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end....from henceforth even forever." (Isaiah 9:7).
This great prophecy emboldens our belief that good will most certainly triumph over evil, despite the many things which seem to suggest the exact opposite in these violent days. Tune into any news channel and see how inundated we are with unbridled passion, unimaginable decadence, and unbelievable cruelty.
Nevertheless, when evil sits upon the throne and the streets of nations are filled with foolhardy acts of immorality and injustice -- we take heart in knowing there is a Kingdom which is greater than these fleeting empires.
It is the Kingdom of our God, and of His Christ. And nothing will stop Him now, for of the increase of His government and peace -- there shall be no end.
RYLISM UPDATE: For those of you who use e-sword as your Bible software, you can down download the entire collection of 2008 Rylism devotionals totally FREE! Go to http://www.e-sword.net/devotions.html. If you don't use e-sword, try it out. Download the program first, and then install the many resources that come with it -- FREE!
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Thursday, January 01, 2009
First Things First
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"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God." (Matthew 6:33).
In all things, at all times, our first and foremost thought should be fixed upon God's will. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it," the Bible tells us. "Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." (Psalm 127:1).
The fool has said, "There is no God." And only a fool would choose to live his or her life without seriously taking God into account. While it may not be fashionable, or even popular; and though it be ridiculed by those who boast in their own strength and abilities; nevertheless, putting God first in everything is the wisest and surest way to live one's life.
And it certainly is the best way to start a new year.
These are times of great uncertainty and increasing difficulty. A time when the wisdom of man continually baffles us with its sheer stupidity, as one plan after another backfires in the hands of inept experts. With things teetering and collapsing all about us, it's good to know that the only economy which will stand and thrive is that which comes from trusting God.
Jesus said, "What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:31-34, The Message).
The best thing you can do from this day forward is "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God." That is what you call putting first things first.
RYLISM UPDATE: For those of you who use e-sword as your Bible software, you can down download the entire collection of 2008 Rylism devotionals totally FREE! Go to http://www.e-sword.net/devotions.html. If you don't use e-sword, try it out. Download the program first, and then install the many resources that come with it -- FREE!
.
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God." (Matthew 6:33).
In all things, at all times, our first and foremost thought should be fixed upon God's will. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it," the Bible tells us. "Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." (Psalm 127:1).
The fool has said, "There is no God." And only a fool would choose to live his or her life without seriously taking God into account. While it may not be fashionable, or even popular; and though it be ridiculed by those who boast in their own strength and abilities; nevertheless, putting God first in everything is the wisest and surest way to live one's life.
And it certainly is the best way to start a new year.
These are times of great uncertainty and increasing difficulty. A time when the wisdom of man continually baffles us with its sheer stupidity, as one plan after another backfires in the hands of inept experts. With things teetering and collapsing all about us, it's good to know that the only economy which will stand and thrive is that which comes from trusting God.
Jesus said, "What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:31-34, The Message).
The best thing you can do from this day forward is "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God." That is what you call putting first things first.
RYLISM UPDATE: For those of you who use e-sword as your Bible software, you can down download the entire collection of 2008 Rylism devotionals totally FREE! Go to http://www.e-sword.net/devotions.html. If you don't use e-sword, try it out. Download the program first, and then install the many resources that come with it -- FREE!
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