Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
2 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure [a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and [b]may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
Pondering Upon the Deeper Matters of Our Faith
It is not unusual—in fact, it’s quite common—through the eyes of unbelievers and believers for the Christian faith to be regarded as a kind of illogical, unusual belief in improbable and even impossible events.
For some, faith in God is seen as a crutch to prop up less rational people as they navigate through the more weighty morals, great diversity of life’s challenges.
Such critics may be surprised to learn that in reality, pondering our Christianity calls its followers not to neglect their minds but to critically, deeply, engage them.
When we read the Word of God, we discover that it never invites us simply to feel things; it never attempts merely to “sweep us up” in an emotional surge.
God never once asks for or endorses the total disengagement of our thinking processes.
Instead, God’s Word repeatedly reveals that our Christianity, our faith in God is actually a call to think rightly and deeply about God, His world, our place in it.
When the apostle Paul addressed the Ephesian followers, we read that he was “reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus,” which was very likely an early school building which could be rented for debating philosophy or rhetoric (Acts 19:9).
In this place, Paul was not just singing songs or attempting to stir up some emotional experience.
No, by renting the hall from its owner he essentially said, “Citizens of Ephesus, I want you to spend some significant time thinking and also reasoning with me today. Not just today alone, but to come back frequently more curious than the day before.”
In Thessalonica, too, Acts tells us Paul “reasoned” with the people, “explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead” (17:2-3).
The book of God’s Prophet Isaiah begins with a similar call to think earnestly: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD” (Isaiah 1:18).
This exhortation from Isaiah to think and reason deeply over our lives isn’t just for proclaiming the gospel but for repentance, growth in Christian maturity too.
Desiring people to know God more, writing to the followers in Corinth, Apostle Paul said, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking” (1 Corinthians 14:20).
He wanted the young church their to think intently and intensely about both the current, longer term issues they were all facing in this emerging Christian faith.
Paul was even more direct when writing to the young Pastor Timothy: “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2 v. 7)
Whatever time we are living and ministering in, we do need God’s Holy Spirit to be at work in order to think rightly (Luke 24:45; 1 Corinthians 12:3), for our own intellects are as affected by sin as every other part of ourselves (Ephesians 4:17).
But it is as we expend significant mental energy to consider the deeper wisdom, truths of the Scriptures that God will give us greater and greater understanding.
To follow Christ, then, is not to take a step of blind faith into the darkness but to have your eyes opened, our souls better informed to the light of rigorous truth.
It will take a lifetime—and more!—to unearth the deeper and deepest riches of the truth we encounter in God’s Word about Jesus, but one thing is sure: today, as every day, God wants you, me to love Him and honor Him with all your mind.
My Own Faith and Pondering Upon God’s Deeper Call
Proverbs 3:5-12 The Message
5-12 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. But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.
“And when I think that God, His Son not sparing Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing He bled and died to take away my sin”
How is God calling me to think deeply?
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God calling me to think critically?
How is God calling me to think Scripturally?
How is God calling me into a deeper contemplation of God?
How is God calling me into a deeper contemplation of my faith in God?
How is God calling me into a deeper expression of faith?
How is God calling me into a deeper expression of my faith in God?
How is God calling me into a deeper understanding of God?
How is God calling me into a deeper understanding of my faith in God?
How is God calling me into a deeper appreciation of God?
How is God calling me into a deeper appreciation of my faith in God?
How is God reordering, reshaping, my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
“My God! How Great IS our God?”
2 Timothy 2:7 The Message
Doing Your Best for God
2 1-7 So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen!—to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.
“It is the diligent farmer who gets the produce …”
“Think it over.”
“God will make it plain …”
“Plainer than the nose on your face!”
When we finally “do see” the diligent farmer who gets the produce …
Wiping all of the sweat off of their noses with the sleeves of their shirts …
“Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art How great Thou art, how great Thou art”
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Heavenly Father, thank You for the Word of God and the truths that it contains within its sacred pages. Help me to read, mark, learn, and act upon all the things that Christ has done for me so that I may live my life in a manner that pleases You and honors and glorifies Your holy name. I pray I may endure life’s hardships like a good soldier of Christ and run, with patience, and faith, the race of life that is set before me. Keep me pressing on to the goal of my calling and equip me with knowledge and understanding of all that Christ has done for me. This I ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
90 Lord, You have been our dwelling place [our refuge, our sanctuary, our stability] in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born Or before You had given birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are [the eternal] God.
3 You turn man back to dust, And say, “Return [to the earth], O children of [mortal] men!” 4 For a [a]thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, Or as a watch in the night. 5 You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep [forgotten as soon as they are gone]; In the morning they are like grass which grows anew— 6 In the morning it flourishes and springs up; In the evening it wilts and withers away.
7 For we have been consumed by Your anger And by Your wrath we have been terrified. 8 You have placed our wickedness before you, Our secret sins [which we tried to conceal, You have placed] in the [revealing] light of Your presence. 9 For all our days pass away in Your wrath; We have finished our years like a whispered sigh. 10 The days of our life are [b]seventy years— Or even, if because of strength, eighty years; Yet their pride [in additional years] is only labor and sorrow, For it is soon gone and we fly away. 11 Who understands the power of Your anger? [Who connects this brevity of life among us with Your judgment of sin?] And Your wrath, [who connects it] with the [reverent] fear that is due You? 12 So teach us to number our days, That we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom.
13 Turn, O Lord [from Your fierce anger]; how long will it be? Be compassionate toward Your servants—revoke Your sentence. 14 O satisfy us with Your lovingkindness in the morning [now, before we grow older], That we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad in proportion to the days You have afflicted us, And the years we have suffered evil. 16 Let Your work [the signs of Your power] be revealed to Your servants And Your [glorious] majesty to their children. 17 And let the [gracious] favor of the Lord our God be on us; Confirm for us the work of our hands— Yes, confirm the work of our hands.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
“So, Lord God, Teach Us to Number Our Days,”
Often in life we think we are heading in the general direction of our goal, our life is moving steadily along on cruise control, we finally get to that somewhere , we look around and survey the landscape of all the success, but we still end up lost.
Though we might start out well, we might achieve what we feel is the best, but we can quickly realize that the best was not in fact, the best, then lose interest in seriously considering everything but exactly the next actions we must take.
A sudden barrage of questions arise within – are we living up to our potential?
Are we being “all we can be?”
Are we being “all we can be” for those who need us to be their “all we can be?”
Living unto, into our full potential, Living up and into to a set of standards?
Have you ever felt like you are not living up to your God potential?
Ever felt like you ought to be closer to God than you are?
Or that you ought to know God better than you do?
We all get to a point in life when we have seen so much of life, where we have experienced so much of life, or where we have sinned against God and how we believe God wants us to live.
We succeed and then we fail.
We glorify God when we succeed and when we think we have done too many wrong things, have failed one too many times for God to continue to bless us.
We conclude we have sinned too much.
We have been too disobedient and we have wandered too far.
We have grown too old and too set in our ways, too inflexible in our thoughts.
Therefore God is done with us – change and transformation are not possible.
God won’t use me anymore.
God can’t use me anymore.
God will not use me anymore
God is through with me, God is certainly going to be washing His hands of me.
God is no longer available to me because I am no longer usable, available to God.
God is always available – ever vigilant, no slumber nor sleep, eyes always open!
God is always accessible!
The Kingdom of God is always going to be available.
The Kingdom of God is always going to be there.
The Kingdom of God is always going to be accessible.
The Question: will we ourselves always be available and accessible to God as God and the Kingdom of God is always and forever available, accessible to us?
Is our Prayer anything close to sounding like… (Psalm 90:12)
12 So teach us to number our days, That we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom?
In order not to lose track of where we are going and why we are going there, the psalmist encourages us to “ask God to teach us to number our days.”
The writer is not talking about any exercise of basic, simple nor complex math—that being our counting the number of days that we might potentially live.
No one knows “the number of our days” but God himself.
Rather, the psalmist wants us to realize that nothing in this life except living for God should be our ultimate goal, or the ultimate treasure we have in mind.
Money, fame, possessions—none of that will last.
As a popular sayings go,
“When you die, you can’t take it with you.”
“Ain’t never seen any U-Haul trailers hauled behind no Hearses.”
“That We May Cultivate and Bring to You a Heart of Wisdom.”
God is not done with you.
One more time – God is not done with you.
God is not done with me.
God is not done with any of us.
God has not quit on you.
God has not quit on me.
God has not given up on any of us.
God is still available to you.
God is still available to me.
God is still at work.
God still speaks and God still wants to be known.
Four key insights into God’s availability from Moses’s encounter with God.
Key 1 – Avoid being so consumed with life that you miss what God is doing.
Let’s turn to the Scripture and pick up with Moses, who is still far from God.
One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” Exodus 3:1-3
Moses wasn’t so consumed with his job that he didn’t notice the burning bush.
Now many of us might wonder what Moses has to be consumed with.
He was herding sheep, which is exhausting, mainly because they would have had some Rams in it.
Female sheep are called Ewes.
Male sheep are called Rams.
According to most farmers, the Rams are evil.
While ewes (the female sheep) are generally docile, non-aggressive animals, this is not usually the case with rams (the male sheep), especially during the breeding season.
Rams can be very aggressive and have been known to cause serious injuries, even the death of people.
Therefore, a ram should never be trusted, even if it is friendly or was raised as a pet.
It is essential always to know where the ram is and to never turn your back on him.
Moses sees this burning bush.
Common sense would tell a sheepherder to move the sheep away from the fire.
But Moses didn’t let the business of watching sheep keep him from noticing the God thing.
He did not turn away from the God thing.
Instead, he turned toward it, which leads to the following key.
Key 2 – Allow curiosity to lead you toward God – even when uncomfortable.
Our most significant victories and achievements rarely happen when we are comfortable.
Instead, they occur when we are willing to step outside our comfort zone.
They happen when we take what little faith we may have and trust God.
Moses noticed something was up.
He saw something out of place and unusual, a bush that wasn’t being consumed by the fire.
So he chose to move closer and find out what was going on.
The Scripture continues:
When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. The Lord responded, “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your father — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:4-7,10
Moses had to be freaking out that God was speaking to Him.
But he is also leaning in.
So it seems to me that there are a set of God things happening around us today.
A spiritual awakening of sorts is happening on some college campuses, in micro-church and church planting movements.
Don’t run away.
Lean in. Check it out.
Key 3 – After you begin to investigate what God is doing, expect God to speak.
There is so much in this passage.
Let’s reread a piece of it.
So, we can take a closer look.
When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. The Lord responded, “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your father — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Exodus 3:4-5
God did not speak to Moses until after Moses began to investigate.
Did you catch that?
God didn’t speak until AFTER Moses took a tangible step toward God.
God often waits for us to move closer to Him before He reveals more of Himself to us.
Here is the challenge.
We can get lost in our routine.
One of my favorite sayings goes like this:
“The problem with life is that it is so daily.”
Life in the wilderness as a shepherd would have been way routine.
First, take care of the sheep.
Next, find grass for the sheep.
Then, find water for the sheep.
Repeat.
A bush on fire would have been unusual.
But what made it way unusual?
What made it unique?
The bush is not being consumed – it is burning but not burning up.
There is a divine presence in the bush – it is holy ground.
God speaks from the bush.
Moses could have run away fast and furious.
But he chose to move in instead.
He chose to move toward God.
What’s the result of his moving closer to the things of God?
That leads to the fourth and final key.
Key 4 – Assume that continually moving closer to God will help you and me discover God more fully.
Moses discovers his purpose for the next phase of his life.
Moses gets the next step of his life laid out because of this connection with God.
“Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:10
God being near to us isn’t just an old testament concept.
We see it all throughout the New Testament as well.
As Paul was reasoning with a crowd of atheists and people of other religions, he explained that God put people in specific times and places during history.
Check out Paul’s words:
“His purpose is for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him — though he is not far from any one of us.” Acts 17:27
James – the leader of the early church – said it this way:
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8
Here is what it means to me:
God is as available to you and me as you and I are to Him.
Take advantage of that.
God is available to you as you are to Him.
Check out the promise in the Old Testament that is repeated often:
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
Don’t miss this:
We serve a God who wants to be found.
We serve a God who wants to be known.
We serve a God who wants to be discovered.
If you and I are far from God, it is because you and I have chosen to be far from God.
If you and I are not as close to God as you and I wish, that is all on you and me.
When we discipline ourselves to number each day with God as our main focus and guide and guardian, we gain deep wisdom for this life and the life to come.
Draw close to God, and God will draw near to you and close to me.
Take a step toward God, and God steps toward you.
Of course, I can’t and wont promise that if you and I do this, all our problems, hurts, and pains will be solved.
But I can promise you that if you move toward God, God will move toward you.
God will be with you and me as we journey through the ups and downs of life.
God is available.
God is accessible.
Are you?
Am I?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm …..
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Almighty God, you are the source of all life. We know each day of our lives is a gift from your hand. Help us live each day in the light of your Word. Heavenly Father, thank You for each day of life and for the opportunities You have given me to live a life unto You. May each day of my life, from this day forward, be exercised in a way pleasing to You so that in all I say and do You may be glorified. In Jesus’ name I pray,
20 So I became sad about all the work I had done. 21 People can work hard using all their wisdom and knowledge and skill. But they will die and other people will get the things they worked for. They did not do the work, but they will get everything. That makes me very sad. It is also not fair and is senseless.
22 What do people really have after all their work and struggling in this life? 23 Throughout their life, they have pain, frustrations, and hard work. Even at night, a person’s mind does not rest. This is also senseless.
24-25 There is no one who has tried to enjoy life more than I have. And this is what I learned: The best thing people can do is eat, drink, and enjoy the work they must do. I also saw that this comes from God.[a]
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
According to Winston Groom,
“Life is like a box of chocolate. You never know what you’re going to get.”
But what if you did?
What if life was always exciting and rewarding?
Could you still be happy?
What about pain?
Suffering? Heartache? Sadness?
Are those emotions essential to living completeness?
Are those emotions essential to living in a complete cycle of struggling
How would you grow?
How would we mature?
What would you learn from a life full of bliss?
What would we learn from a life full of struggling
Do you and I need to struggle at constantly struggling?
Do you and I need to struggle at living a life full of constant bliss?
Within all of this constant and moment to moment barrage of these choices and decisions, how do we remain faithful, what do we remain faithful to, who do we remain faithful to, when do we remain faithful to whatever and whoever it is we are supposed to remain faithful to?
Hmm.. you and I have much to think over, many choices and decisions to make.
Dealing With the Struggles of Life
Everyone faces struggles in life.
It can be as simple as a skinned knee at the playground, or it could be as hard, complex as being confronted by the issues of raising your growing children, growing in your marriage, career and financial choices leading from buying a home for your family, retirement, saving for the college education of children and even by our own, or that of a loved ones chronic life-threatening illness.
All too often we try to face these struggles alone and in private, thinking we have to ‘tough it out’ to get through.
Life’s struggles—they come in all flavors.
They come at the most unexpected times.
They interrupt plans and dreams.
Yet some are chosen!
What are your struggles and how do you cope with them?
For too many it is a struggle with health, such as diabetes or cancer—where the struggle can literally go on for years.
For parents it can be with the struggles of their children.
For some it is a struggle with beliefs and doubts and remaining faithful.
For too many it is a never ending struggle with housing, or finances, or finding a job—or just plain searching for justice and fairness and significant meaning.
Some struggles are thrust upon us and we resent their intrusion very much.
And then sometimes we say, Life’s not fair!
Bad things happen: things that neither you or I didn’t choose; things neither you or I didn’t, don’t deserve.
And you know what?
That’s really difficult.
As our reading from Ecclesiastes teaches: One thing is for sure about life: we are absolutely guaranteed to have all measure of troubles at some point or another.
There’s no avoiding it.
There is no trying to avoided.
There is not enough bubble wrap in the world to wrap ourselves, our family and friends with to keep us 100% safe and 100% secure from all of life’s alarms.
I think there are two key factors that are essential for overcoming hard times:
my attitude, and
my support system.
Facing Problems in Our Lives
When you face problems in your life:
How do you react?
What is your attitude about the problem?
Are you a worrier?
Do you avoid the problem?
Picture the scene:
While walking downtown one hot summer afternoon, you see a crowd gathered before a street preacher, standing atop a soapbox with a megaphone in hand.
In that most unexpected of moments, subtly, suddenly Curiosity (temptation?) gets the better of you and you make the choice and the decision to move closer.
As you approach, you begin to “hear” and “listen” to his message:
“Worried about sickness? Jesus is the healer. Worried about hardship? Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Worried about struggles with finances, job loss, or tragedy? Jesus says my yoke is easy and my burden light. I tell you that if you believe in Jesus, then all the worries, anxieties, and troubles of your life will disappear!”
Now, think about it as you are diligently hearing and listening to the words; If someone had publicly proclaimed this message to you, would you believe them?
How about if someone had privately proclaimed this message for your timely or not so timely consideration?
Is it a Word from God?
Is Jesus coming alongside of you and quietly whispering into your soul?
Is the Holy Spirit nudging your rib cage?
In our busyness, I think we all know that the above message, although sounding attractive, lacks a certain measure and degree of reality and believability to us.
As people of faith, we do recognize that our faith is not an escapist dream.
Faith is not an hallucination, illusion or a delusion which rips us away from the inescapable reality of our having to struggle with the fallen world around us.
As followers of Jesus, we are not immune from the struggle, from contending with the inevitable display of all of the imperfections of our life.
Our fallen world will naturally throw conflicts and crises upon us.
To deny this fact is to deny the very world in which we live.
To deny this fact would be to deny the existence of God, the works of God from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21 the final verse of the Bible.
Consider the opening verse of Genesis:
Genesis 1:1 Easy-to-Read Version
The Beginning of the World
1 God created the sky and the earth. At first,
Now consider the final verse of the Bible;
Revelation 22:21 Easy-to-Read Version
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all people.
Everything started with God Creating.
In the end, the Grace of the Lord Jesus WILL BE with ALL people.
Jesus is clear about this reality.
He repeatedly tells his disciples that they will be led into times of trouble or persecution; they will witness crises in the heavens and on the earth and will be repeatedly and brutally persecuted and even put before governors and rulers.
Jesus plainly states that the disciples may even be put to death on account of their faith (Luke 21:8-19).
Jesus is honest about the times of struggle his disciples will face.
Furthermore, the history of the church testifies that this is, indeed, what the disciples struggled with and faced and what we will struggle with, have to face.
Given this, what does it mean to be faithful when we are going through a time of difficulty?
How might we respond to the difficulties of life with faithful witnesses?
Here are three things we might consider praying over, a choice to consider, a decision to consider making when these struggles are found on our doorstops.
1. Do Not Deny the Reality of the Struggle
Faith is never lived in the absence of struggle but in response to it.
This is the heart of the incarnation.
The bold and audacious claim of our faith is that God did not, does not, will not ever remain separated from the struggles of life. (Genesis 1:1 – Revelation 22:21)
Instead, in an act of inconceivable, radical love, God physically entered into the affairs of mankind, became incarnate, within our imperfect and fallen world.
God became flesh and entered the fullness of human life. (John 1:1-5)
The incarnation, however, makes no sense without the crucifixion.
Paul writes that “God demonstrates his love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Jesus bore the full weight of the world’s struggle, conflict, rejection, and pain.
From literally the cradle to the cross, from cradle to the grave, Christians can be assured that the resurrected Lord has fully embraced the fullness of human life.
Following Jesus, therefore, isn’t about escaping the difficulties we go through.
We follow Jesus to the cross, which means that we sometimes contend with the fallenness of this world.
Jesus is clear, “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 16:33).
But Jesus is also clear about something even more critical to our struggles;
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Our faith never keeps us immune from wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, pestilences, or famines nor financial nor healthcare nor any other kind of crisis.
As Christian people, we are called into an imperfect world as agents of new life.
We are given the ministry of reconciliation (2Corinthians 5:18).
Thus, we do a disservice to ourselves and others when we assume that the faithful response to the ills of the world is to deny their effect upon us.
We are not to run from our hurts or struggles but to acknowledge them.
Faith never masks the struggles of life; it speaks into them.
It is only as we recognize that the Lord stands with us amid the hardships we face that we can testify to Christ’s life-giving power.
Ultimately, faith pertains to real live life and the real live stuff we go through.
2. Proclaim the Good News
It is in the presence of our obstacles that we are to express our faith.
Jesus is honest about the disciples’ upcoming experiences.
Yet Jesus also states “this will give you the opportunity to testify” (Luke 21:13).
During persecution and rejection, hardship and struggle, crisis of one kind or another, disciples of Jesus are called to “raise up,” bear witness to the gospel.
We bear witness to Jesus by proclaiming how our faith gives us the strength and perseverance to endure.
Paul’s confession, prayers over his thorn in his flesh, for example, is what gave him the opportunity to declare that only God’s grace is sufficient at all times. (2Corinthians 12:7-10)
This is exactly what happened with the other disciples.
Their lives of witness, amid profound hardship and persecution moved the gospel throughout the world.
As people saw the effect of Jesus in the lives of the disciples, they began to explore the truth of the gospel in their own life.
The circumstances of our lives become the material for our faithful witness.
As followers of Jesus, we raise up to proclaim the presence of Christ as we have experienced and as we have received him.
“Come and hear…let me tell you what he has done for me,”says the psalmist (Psalm 66:16).
This is the cry of faith.
The call of our faith is never to deny the hardship of the world or to pretend it’s not there. Rather, we stand and declare the power of the gospel.
Ultimately, the reason we can proclaim the good news amid life’s difficulties is because we rest on the promise that “by your endurance you will gain your life” (Luke 21:19).
By leaning on our relationship with Jesus, we gain a deeper life than we could ever possibly imagine; we become mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4).
Our eternal life isn’t based on a life without problems. It is based on a life in a relationship with Christ. It is that relationship that we proclaim above all else.
3. Be Boldly Faithful
Returning then to our original question, how might we respond in times of struggle, persecution, or hardship?
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be boldly faithful.
We trust that Christ will be with us no matter what we face.
After all, Jesus says that, amid all our trials and difficulties, we are to “raise our heads, because our redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).
Jesus promises our full, total redemption, and in that promise, we have hope.
While the world in its fallenness may ebb and flow away, Jesus secures our futures.
Jesus stands with us regardless of what we may be experiencing.
Thus, we can stand firm in our faith, particularly because no matter what this world throws at us, it will never defeat our life in Christ Jesus.
So, if you are walking through a time of difficulty today, take this promise to heart: the structures of life might crumble around you, but you will remain.
The wealth of all of the nations may come to nothing, but you will survive.
The bastions of security and ease may all dry up, but you and I will endure.
Whatever you and I face in life, whatever discouragement or hardship you and I are, or will inevitably find ourselves walking through, by His resurrection, Jesus says it wont ever have the final word – in faith, we all stand in the power of God.
It All Comes Down To Our Attitude
God talks to us over and over in Scripture about the attitude he wants us to have in difficult times.
This attitude encompasses humility, trust, and joy.
First God calls us to humble ourselves.
James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
I don’t know if we’ve figured it out yet, but no matter how hard we try to control our life, stuff still happens.
Stuff that you didn’t choose, didn’t plan for, could not possibly plan for.
And some of it seems to be just too much to bear.
Admit that to God.
Don’t try to cast blame or point fingers.
Simply humble yourself and admit you need help.
Second, God calls us to entrust our problems to him.
Let him be the first friend you ‘call’ in times of trouble.
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him for he cares for you.”
Nothing is too big or too small for God.
He loves you and wants to carry you through the hard times.
Third, God wants you and me to keep a positive outlook, and even somehow to quite deliberately and quite intentionally and purposely find joy in our trials.
James 1:2-4 says:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Know that in and within and through every single one our trying times, God is forever with you (Psalm 121) and He, through Jesus is doing a great work in you.
To understand this, ask yourself:
What can I learn from this situation?
What have I learned about myself?
What am I learning about God?
Where has God been working in my life up to this point to prepare me and support me?
Believe it or not: Struggles Strengthen Us
There is joy to be had in knowing that hard times won’t last and you will come out of it stronger, wiser, and more mature.
When difficult times hit, remember that God works ALL things for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28)
God doesn’t make bad things happen.
That’s just part of being in this world.
But God can make good things come out of any situation.
Some questions to consider:
When you face problems in your life, how do you respond?
What is your attitude about the problem?
How do you move forward?
Do you turn to God for help?
Do you trust God to hear you and answer you?
Are you able to find joy in the midst of your troubles?
So the Word of God teaches that God offers help for those facing struggles.
Not all struggles are bad for us—we can learn some pretty valuable lessons.
Transformation Through Struggle
1 Peter 1:6-9 English Standard Version
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
God’s empowerment for transformation often comes through struggle.
We may reach a point in our lives when we hurt so much that we have to change.
Our faith is refined by fire so that it may become as gold.
As the story goes of a man named Louis Braille;
Nine-year-old Louis was watching his father work with leather in his harness-making shop in nineteenth-century France.
“Someday, Father,” said Louis, “I want to be a harness maker, just like you.”
“Why not start now?” retorted his father.
He took a piece of leather and showed his son how to work with a hole puncher.
Excited, the boy began to work, but soon the hole puncher flew out of his hand and pierced his eye!
He lost sight in that eye immediately.
Later the other eye failed, and Louis was totally blind.
His life came to a standstill until his pain produced a world-changing idea.
Louis was sitting in the family garden, holding a pinecone.
As he ran his sensitive fingers over the layers of the cone, he could picture it clearly in his mind.
Suddenly he thought, “Why not create an alphabet of raised dots to enable sightless people to read?”
So Louis Braille opened a new world for the blind—all because of his pain.
In times of trouble I need to repeatedly, joyfully say, “God has brought me here, God will keep me in his love, and God will somehow make this trial a blessing.”
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray;
Psalm 121 The Message
121 1-2 I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
3-4 He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. Not on your life! Israel’s Guardian will never doze or sleep.
5-6 God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you— Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke.
7-8 God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always.
Lord Almighty, we know that difficult circumstances produce spiritual growth. Use our trials to make our faith genuine and to honor and glorify your name. In Jesus,
2 I said to myself, “I should have fun—I should enjoy everything as much as I can.” But I learned that this is also useless. 2 It is foolish to laugh all the time. Having fun does not do any good.
3 So I decided to fill my body with wine while I filled my mind with wisdom. I tried this foolishness because I wanted to find a way to be happy. I wanted to see what was good for people to do during their few days of life.
Does Hard Work Bring Happiness?
4 Then I began doing great things. I built houses, and I planted vineyards for myself. 5 I planted gardens, and I made parks. I planted all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made pools of water for myself, and I used them to water my growing trees. 7 I bought men and women slaves, and there were slaves born in my house. I owned many great things. I had herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. I owned more things than any other person in Jerusalem did.
8 I also gathered silver and gold for myself. I took treasures from kings and their nations. I had men and women singing for me. I had everything any man could want.
9 I became very rich and famous. I was greater than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom was always there to help me. 10 Anything my eyes saw and wanted, I got for myself. My mind was pleased with everything I did. And this happiness was the reward for all my hard work.
11 But then I looked at everything I had done and the wealth I had gained. I decided it was all a waste of time! It was like trying to catch the wind.[a] There is nothing to gain from anything we do in this life.[b]
24-25 There is no one who has tried to enjoy life more than I have. And this is what I learned: The best thing people can do is eat, drink, and enjoy the work they must do. I also saw that this comes from God.[a]26 If people do good and please God, he will give them wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But those who sin will get only the work of gathering and carrying things. God takes from the bad person and gives to the good person. But all this work is useless. It is like trying to catch the wind.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
Chasing the Winds, Searching for the Winds
People always seem to be chasing after and searching for the “best” good life.
But what is the “best” good life anyway?
For some, it is an education – graduating from high school, or from college, it’s a successful career.
For others, it’s getting married and having a family, it is raising their children in such a way as it brings glory to God, the Father, God the Son, Holy Spirit.
For still others, it’s having a million dollars in the bank–or all of the above!
Whatever a person’s idea of the “best” good life is, it usually means having or doing something more, significantly more than what they have or can do now.
The writer of Ecclesiastes had an insatiable appetite for the good life.
We will read through the opening chapters and verses of Ecclesiastes, and we’ll see that he tried knowledge and education, pleasure and entertainment, wealth and kingly gifts, tons and tons of precious metals and gems and possessions, he traveled wide, partied, plotted, and perused everything the world has to offer.
He acquired much and achieved much.
But, in the end, what was ultimately achieved?
But in the end he was left empty inside.
Unholy Discontentment – chasing after winds he could never hope to catch.
Reaching for the Sun and searching for literally everything under the sun – in search for satisfaction, in search of the greatest measure of happiness possible.
But in the end of it all, the winds always elude him, satisfaction always eludes him, happiness always eludes him – forever tempting him to keep going forth in the full scale and joyful and highly satisfactory, joyful pursuit of all futility.
Human nature hasn’t changed much in their wholly satisfactory, joyful, joy-filled, reckless and feckless pursuit of maximum futility these past 3,000 years.
Many people still search for the good life in all the wrong places.
A staff member of a large, growing church recently told me of hearing many faith stories from new believers who “had it all” but were still empty inside.
Unholy Discontentment
I don’t know if there is a greater or more subtler foe of the gospel-oriented life than unholy discontentment – unholy pursuit of winds we can still not catch.
I throw in that “unholy” qualifier because there are times when God stirs up discontentment in our hearts – reaches into our hearts and captures futility, separates out the futility which has governed our lives and parades it before us.
So we can see for ourselves what governed and ruined the life of the Teacher – in a “human form” we can identify with and looking upon it – abhor its ugly.
To stop our pursuits of “everything meaningless under the sun – step in front of us, look directly and decisively look deep into our eyes – challenging, daring us to take one more step forward beyond what God has already determined to be well and good and the “best” “most joyful, satisfactory” pursuit of happiness.
I myself find myself spiritually tired of the pursuit of such winds that do not bring glory and honor unto God, the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I know people like to think, believe God is a “gentleman” who won’t interfere with our personal decision-making, but the max truth is that sometimes he graciously pesters us about a specific issue until we will respond in obedience.
He may want us to pursue a different vocation, a different ministry or mission solely for the sake of the Kingdom, pull back from a toxic relationship that is hindering our growth and usefulness, or leave the comfort of our first world culture and go walk and live, move amongst an “unreachable” people group.
There are times when the Holy Spirit creates restlessness in our souls, gently (but persistently) nudging us to hop aboard the greater will-of-God train.
I have experienced this kind of holy discontentment on a few occasions in my journey with Jesus – such was the original impetus for my writing devotions.
However, nowadays, what I experience more often is a fleshly, distracting, anger provoking, ministry, mission-abating kind of unholy discontentment.
You know, the kind of discontentment that entails me moping around and obsessing about all the things or experiences I don’t have but so desperately desire – desire solely for the purpose of bringing glory and honor unto God.
It seems like every four to six months or so, I begin to feel like my life is lacking and I need to pray over, to implement some circumstantial change or newness into it in order to be fulfilled – feel like I am doing something more for my God.
Switching vocations, more education, moving to a different city, making more money, getting a new gadget, going to a different church, making new friends, or pursuing a new ministry relationship status are just a few of the things I tend to entertain-I entertain them but struggle mightily to bring into Godly fruition.
None of these things are inherently unholy or bad, but when my compulsive pondering and praying on them (and sometimes impulsive pursuit of them) is driven purely by fleshly restlessness—well, that’s obviously, distressingly bad.
I become so obsessed with only thinking about the changes I could make or the things I could get, Jesus and his Kingdom almost completely fall off my radar.
This unholy discontentment wages more vicious war on my resolve to live a gospel-oriented life than any other sin struggle I experience.
And maybe I am being presumptuous, but I have a difficult time believing I am the only Christian who struggles mightily with this most discontenting mess.
I think it’s a spiritual virus we’re all constantly battling.
Some of us may try to satisfy our discontentment by shifting around our life circumstances (like me).
Some of us may try to numb it by turning to food or alcohol or or “nap times.”
Some of us may do all of the above or may do so significantly much more!
We all experience this inner-thirst of discontentment and try to satisfy it with all the wrong things in all the wrong places and at all of the wrong moments.
We sip from the all too many cups this world offers, only to be repeatedly reminded that they don’t contain the satisfying substance we really desire.
We indulge, manipulate our circumstances, and buy new things we do not need nor justify, yet we continue to find ourselves dissatisfied, fidgety, also, bored.
Single Mindedly Pursuing Satisfaction in God May Look Substantially Different Than What We Think.
So what are we to do?
What are we to “single mindedly” pursue?
Who are we to “single mindedly” pursue?
I think most Christians believe, understand that discontentment is birthed and nurtured in a heart that isn’t satisfied in God – “why doesn’t God move faster?”
So, obviously, the best way to go about fighting such unholy discontentment is to seek to be less satisfied in God, – reduce, diminish, minimize pursuing God !
Right?
Right.
Quite obvious.
Quite obviously facetious.
But why are so few of us so successful or such failures in that fight?
I know there are a lot of completely valid answers to both those questions, but I think a huge reason is many of us don’t know what “seeking to be less or more satisfied in our single minded pursuit of God” looks like, feels like or tastes like.
Contemporary Christian culture is jam-packed with fantastic sounding ideas, but the problem is most of us don’t know how to pull those magnificent ideas down from the clouds and single mindedly apply them unto our everyday lives.
We hear that we should find our deepest joy in God, and we respond to that with a thousand “amens!”—and then quickly realize we have no idea how to do that.
So, what does it actually look like to single mindedly seek satisfaction in God?
Some might say we should open our Bibles and seek to see the all-satisfying God it reveals.
And they’re 100% right; we should.
Head and Heart Knowledge of God – absolutely matters!
Head and Heart Knowledge of Jesus Christ – absolutely matters!
Head and Heart Knowledge of the Holy Spirit – absolutely matters!
The Holy Spirit cultivates fresh joy in our hearts as we shift our eyes away from the world and gaze upon God in his written word.
Positioning ourselves under the Holy Spirit’s power in prayerful Bible-reading and study brightens our vision, expands our vision of Christ and ushers us into the single minded pursuit of a God honoring, eternity-oriented state of mind.
But is this all a single minded pursuit of complete satisfaction in God entails?
Some may object, saying, “I already do that, though. I read the Bible constantly. I pray every day. And I still find myself mightily struggling to be content in Christ!”
I hear you—because this is also my personal spiritual experience.
Everyday, every morning I stay inside the Scriptures and prioritize prayer.
I don’t do these things perfectly by any means, but they are a part of my daily pursuit of a spiritually God glorifying, God honoring, God praising life.
And I praise God for giving me grace to seek him via these glorious means because doing so is such a huge part of my cultivating contentment in God!
However, reading and praying isn’t everything.
If it were, would I continue to find myself wrestling so regularly and intensely with discontentment?
Something the Lord began to teach me a few years ago when I started writing these devotions—and evidently something I have been slow to learn—is that there is too a deep well of spiritual satisfaction found in livingin the will of God.
A private pursuit of him or “quiet time” is part of his will for our lives, sure.
But it’s not the whole sum.
We weren’t spiritually resurrected just so we could sit in our bedrooms, take up much needed space at our dining room tables and read and study our Bibles.
We were cleansed of our sins at Calvary and endowed with the Holy Spirit that we might give the single minded totality of our lives over unto God’s purposes!
I find it to be no coincidence that the seasons I am most discontent are also the seasons I am just barely participating in the ministry of my church, loving my siblings in Christ poorly, not grabbing hold of the plentiful opportunities God is continually giving me to engage unbelievers with the grace, truth of the gospel.
And on the flipside, the seasons I am most content in God are the seasons I am most fully single mindedly pursuing, giving myself over to His will for my life!
I’ve found nothing more effective in shutting down the unholy discontentment than giving my time and energy to my wife, the ministry of the local church, my spiritual siblings, and those who have yet to enter into the deep joy of salvation.
If Christ’s single minded pursuit of “food” was to single mindedly do the will of His Father God, accomplish his work on earth (John 4:34), would not we do well also to single mindedly pursue such “God Food,” to feast upon the same things?
If discontentment is plaguing your heart today, I challenge you—as I also now challenge myself—to put your hands to the plow of God’s purposes for your life.
Find ways to single mindedly pursuit through study and fellowship the deeper knowledge, deeper truths of God, the Father and God the Son and Holy Spirit.
Devote yourselves to the single minded pursuit of prayer, talking with our God.
Devote yourselves to the single minded pursuit of connecting your whole family to God, the Father and God the Son and Holy Spirit thru your daily devotions.
Find ways to connect with and participate in the ministry’s of your church.
Find ways to love on your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Find ways to engage the lost with the gospel.
I guarantee you that if you will discipline yourselves to single mindedly toss idleness aside and submerge yourself in the ministry and mission of the gospel, a God-centered, Jesus centered, Holy Spirit centered, and Scripturally centered satisfaction will invade your soul, mercilessly crush unholy discontentment.
The good news is we now know Jesus is resurrected, alive and fully within us.
In our attempts to reach out in Jesus’ name, let’s not be intimidated by what people’s single minded pursuit of the sun and winds have acquired, achieved.
Nothing satisfies like God!
Nothing satisfies like Jesus!
Nothing satisfies like the Holy Spirit.
The greatest discovery is to learn that single mindedly losing yourself in Jesus our Savior and in his purpose for life is the only way to have true, lasting joy.
Steps to Single Mindedly Pursuing God
1. Carve out time to seek God:
God leaves us with instructions to start each day by teaching us to “seek Him first, then all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
I’m not saying it has to be the first thing you do when you wake up.
“Seek first” is an indication of priorities.
But I like the idea of filling my cup up with God’s spirit before I fill it up with what the world has to offer.
Decide on the best time that works for you and work to discipline yourself to make it a regularly scheduled part of your daily “I’ll God all the glory” routine.
2. Empty out your cup:
Before you can fill up your cup, you must first empty it out.
You cannot fill something up that is fully or partially full of other things.
Pour out your hurts, concerns, worries, agenda, unforgiveness, sin, and requests as God says to “cast all your burdens on Him” (1 Peter 5:7).
Once you empty yourself out,
it leaves room for you to then fill yourself back up with Him.
3. Fill up with God’s word and strive to memorize Scripture:
Receive the word of God like an athlete might receive an energy bar.
Scripture is food and nourishment for your spirit.
It is crucial to fill your cup up with the “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) words of Scripture, because they consist of all the essential truths for our pursuing God.
Dissatisfaction and Discontentment of the World
Dissatisfaction and discontentment will always be present if we are single mindedly pursuing and filling our cups with things or people of this world.
Jesus teaches the Samaritan women at the well a valuable lesson.
This woman tried to find her satisfaction in other people.
She went from husband to new husband searching for satisfaction.
Jesus taught her, that“whoever drinks of this water [the water the world offers] will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst”(John 4:13-14).
Worldly Satisfaction Does Not Go with You or Me to Eternity
Here me when I say this –
there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying the joyful things of this world.
God wants for us to enjoy the gifts He gives us (Matthew 7:11), inasmuch as they direct us to glorify, honor and praise Him for all the good things He has made.
But if you are searching for fulfillment and satisfaction from the things of the world, that is where you will always be left searching, never fully satisfied, as material things are only temporary, and only going to end up rusting away.
We live in a world chocked full of the single minded pursuit of fantastic lies, but thankfully, we have the truth of our Savior Jesus to fill us up at our fingertips.
The God that makes us whole and fulfills us makes us alive forever.
The same God we have maximum access to while we are here on this earth through our Savior Jesus Christ and the ministry and works of the Holy Spirit.
And it’s through the Holy Spirit that we find the only true maximum allowable satisfaction, not discontenting things of the world that won’t join us in eternity.
All Glory, Honor and Praise be unto God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is 100% now, forever shall be, worlds without end!
In the name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
God of truth, sometimes I not sure if I’m actually hearing your voice, or if it’s just my own sinful thoughts or even another spirit. Sharpen my spiritual hearing, Lord, so I can recognize your words when you are speaking to me. Help me know it’s really you, with no doubt or second-guessing. When I’m asking for your guidance in life’s important decisions, give me your peace that surpasses understanding with your answer. Help me remember that your words to me will never go against your written word in the Bible. Give me a clear mind and push out all my confusion. Lord, may we discover anew that the “best” good life is found only in relationship with you. Fill us with yourself. May our spiritual hunger draw us and others to your side. In Jesus,
57-64 Because you have satisfied me, God, I promise to do everything you say. I beg you from the bottom of my heart: smile, be gracious to me just as you promised. When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed. I was up at once, didn’t drag my feet, was quick to follow your orders. The wicked hemmed me in—there was no way out— but not for a minute did I forget your plan for me. I get up in the middle of the night to thank you; your decisions are so right, so true—I can’t wait till morning! I’m a friend and companion of all who fear you, of those committed to living by your rules. Your love, God, fills the earth! Train me to live by your counsel.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
As believers, we tend to say, ‘God is all I need’, but over any expanse of time we repeatedly learn that particular statement is not always true in our daily lives.
Many of us seek satisfaction in whatever form, if not perfection, in whatever form we can find it in our lives.
We want so very much to “live in the abundance of God” “abundant blessings of God,” to believe that God is enough, but yet we still chase fulfillment elsewhere.
I mean, who does not want significantly more than their own “fair share” of the abundance, the abundant life, which God offers to all His Children who believe?
Who does not want to feast on the “abundance of quail and manna” which God provided to the Israelites in their 40 plus years of circling the vast wilderness?
Who does not want to be the one’s to partake of the miraculous supply of food Jesus gave the thousands of hungry people from a few loaves of bread and fish?
Who wouldn’t want to have this prayer of Psalm 69:13 answered for their life;
But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, at an acceptable and opportune time; O God, in the greatness of Your favor and in the abundance of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with truth [that is, the faithfulness of Your salvation].
The truth is: we were all designed for perfection—to be truly satisfied, to max out all their measures of “satisfaction” and this is why so many of us long for it.
If we look at the Bible in the very beginning, God created a perfect world for us to inhabit.
In Genesis, He designed for us to live surround by complete satisfaction.
It was indescribably beautiful, undeniably fulfilling, and beyond measure completely satisfying in every way – no sadness, emptiness, or confusion.
However, insert Adam and Eve.
Subtly enticed by the serpent, they made a choice against God’s will, and due to their choice, the consequences of their sin “dissatisfaction” entered the world.
So now, fast forward to today, we now live in a broken, fallen, sin-filled world.
But the great news is God is coming back for His people.
He promises in His forever Living and forever Active Word that He brings us back to perfection as Eden is restored in the last chapters of Revelation.
Revelation 21:3-5 The Message
3-5 I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.” The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new. Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate.”
The truth is this: the more we do crave and thirst for satisfaction in this fallen world we live in, the more disappointed we inevitably become, because it will never truly satisfy the longing placed in our hearts from the very beginning.
Everyone’s Never-Ending Hunger and Thirst
Our hunger and thirst for satisfaction starts from the first day we are born.
From the very first moments after we are born, we instinctively hunger and thirst for milk from our mother’s breast – and gorge ourselves when given it.
From the time we were children, we search to be satisfied with that new bike, new toys which help us interact with our environments, or a new video game.
We eagerly wait for all of those things we believe are going to make us happy.
As teenagers, we sought satisfaction in good grades, excelling in sports, making friends, comradery, our getting our very first car, or a boyfriend or a girlfriend.
As growing and maturing adults, we think of an education, a career, a spouse, a bigger house, children, or that one high-paying position will quench our thirst.
But always and forever in the end of it all, we are usually still left wanting more.
We are left with this gap, and time and time again; it is never fulfilled.
A gap between this fallen world and a world full of abundance and satisfaction.
There will always be a gap, otherwise we would never have a need for God.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 The Message
9-13 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift.
Think about it: if all the things we sought after never disappointed us, leaving us hungry, thirsty for more, we would have no need to thirst after God Himself.
We would already be filled by ‘things’, leaving no room for God to be in our life.
As Christ followers, and because Christ gave his life for us, we can be 100% satisfied in God and God alone, even while living in this abundantly messy, abundantly stressful, very wide middle path between Genesis and Revelation.
We can learn to not just say the words, but rather believe the words: that God is all I need—He is enough.
God, Our Portion
Psalm 119:57-64 New King James Version
ח HETH
57 You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words. 58 I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word. 59 I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies. 60 I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments. 61 The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law. 62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments. 63 I am a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts. 64 The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes.
With words such as “Though the wicked bind me with ropes,” the psalmist continues his lament in this section of Psalm 119.
The laments of this psalm are often raw and deep.
And yet we can sense that the psalmist finds safety in the promises and love of the Lord, the surest source of comfort and protection.
Notice that this section begins with the words “You are my portion, Lord. . . .”
This is likely a reference to the way God gave portions of the promised land to the tribes of Israel (see Joshua 13-21).
Allotments were given to all of the tribes except for the tribe of Levi, because God had dedicated the Levites to serve and lead in the worship of the Lord.
Their apportioned service to God included everything from offering sacrifices to teaching the law, and from leading in worship to taking care of all the materials used in the Tabernacle for worship (see Exodus 25-30).
As Joshua explained to the people, “The Levites . . . do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance” (Joshua 18:7).
In a similar way, the psalmist has nothing and no one but God to depend on.
The Lord is his portion, his inheritance.
In utter dependence and trust, the psalmist takes everything to God in prayer, including his laments.
With God as our portion, we too have the privilege of taking all our troubles and cares to the One whose guidance and instruction give us full life.
The Cup Which Satisfies
The way to be truly max satisfied in God is to fill your cup with Him daily—and please note here that I’m not referring to your salvation.
Being saved and being filled are two different things.
Being saved is when you accept Christ into your heart and commit your life to walking with Him.
This is the salvation you are given freely by the grace of God.
Your salvation never goes away. (John 3:16).
Being filled refers to God’s Holy Spirit, which is the gift Jesus left us after He died on the cross, filling you up.
As believers who accept Christ’s salvation, we have max access to this gift.
In fact, the “Holy Spirit lives in us” (John 14:17).
But we also live in our flesh, so we have to nurture our spirit daily.
The Holy Spirit is meant to fill us up to be our daily guide, counselor, “helper” and “teacher” and intercessor (John 14:15-18, 26, Romans 8:26-27).
How Can We Be Satisfied in God’s Presence?
John 14:15-18 New King James Version
Jesus Promises Another Helper
15 “If you love Me, [a]keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [b]Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Jesus’ disciples were upset.
For three years they had been with Jesus.
They had walked with him and talked with him.
And now he suddenly announces that he was about to leave.
How could they possibly go on without him?
How could they face the challenges of life without his daily presence?
In his farewell address the Lord Jesus put the disciples’ minds at ease.
He told them that his returning to the Father was for their good (John 16:7).
He promised to send the Holy Spirit, who would live in them and teach them about living for God.
And through the Spirit they’d be able to enjoy God’s presence always.
Through the Holy Spirit you and I can experience God’s presence every moment of the day.
All we have to do is ask.
As Jesus says in Luke 11:13,“If you … know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The most important prayer we can pray each day is to ask for the all-powerful presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
When we have the Holy Spirit guiding us each day, we will not only experience the abundance of God’s presence in our own lives, but we’ll also be able to show God’s presence to others as we live God’s way, displaying the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Thank you Lord for leaving us with such a gift!
It is perhaps a worn out cliché to repeatedly say
“Nothing comes naturally to living in the Spirit.”
One day I can react to a situation in my flesh, while the next day I allow God to fill me up with the Holy Spirit, and my reaction can be completely different.
This is why daily filling up your cup and nurturing our spirit is so important.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 40:1-10 The Message
40 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip. He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God.
4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God, turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,” ignore what the world worships; The world’s a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God-thoughts. Nothing and no one compares to you! I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words. Neither numbers nor words account for you.
6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you— that’s not what you’re after. Being religious, acting pious— that’s not what you’re asking for. You’ve opened my ears so I can listen.
7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me, And I’m coming to the party you’re throwing for me.” That’s when God’s Word entered my life, became part of my very being.
9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation, I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that. I didn’t keep the news of your ways a secret, didn’t keep it to myself. I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough. I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth For myself alone. I told it all, let the congregation know the whole story.
Lord God, Creator of all life, please fill us with your Holy Spirit and help us to show in our lives the fruit of the Spirit. We ask all this for Jesus’ sake and in his name. Amen.
3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your[a] life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
In the miracle of conversion, a number of things happen.
Our sins are forgiven, we are adopted into God’s family, and we are given the status of sons and daughters.
Not only that, but we are also given a new location with Christ in the heavenly places.
There is for the Christian a radical change in our spiritual environment as a result of our union with the risen Christ—and it is our place in Christ that securely establishes our priorities.
It is because we have been “raised with Christ” that we are to “seek the things that are above.”
This reality was important for the new followers of the Colossian church to try to grasp.
As Paul was writing to them, they were being influenced by deceptive doctrine.
False teachers were imposing man-made rules upon them, saying, “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (Colossians 2:21).
Yet these external rules, which were intended to improve their moral behavior, ironically were “of no value in stopping the indulgences of the flesh” (v 23).
The same remains true for us: even when we attempt to remove ourselves from sin, we will not ever be able to completely stop our own propensity towards that which is truly impure, unholy, and untrue.
This form of external religion was a bad virus that was threatening to embed itself within the Colossian church, combining doctrinal confusion with moral carelessness. (The two go hand in hand.)
So Paul addressed the issue by reminding his Colossian readers that the way to get to begin getting a grip with our behavior is by beginning to understand who and whose we are—what our lives have become through the Lord Jesus Christ.
As Christians, our lives are wrapped up in Jesus. We are in Him, and He is in us.
We have been raised to live outward with Christ, our lives are hidden in Him.
This fact alone is the only sure basis of our security—our confidence in the face of our own propensity to do wrong things.
Are are we trying to live the Christian life alone, the “shy Christian” the “best intentions Christian” by your own efforts and fight our sin in our own strength?
Are we seeking to be a better Christian and wondering why it is proving elusive—or, worse, are we beginning to wonder whether we are a Christian at all or whether it is worth the effort to share our Savior with another human being?
God’s Heart Does Not, Must Not, Ever Stop With Us
One of the greatest privileges as a child of God is that with our Savior Jesus Christ living in and within us, we all have the heart of our heavenly Father.
We do not have to wonder how God feels about us.
We do not have to wonder if God will guide us.
We do not have to question whether God loves us or God cares for, about, us.
Through the Holy Spirit we have continual, free access to the heart of God.
By sharing God, and caring for our neighbors our relationship with God will grow deeper, become freer as we learn how to have God’s heart in this life.
1 John 4:7-10 Easy-to-Read Version
Love Comes From God
7 Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God’s child. And so everyone who loves knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his only Son into the world to give us life through him. 10 True love is God’s love for us, not our love for God. He sent his Son as the way to take away our sins.
As wonderful and life-giving as it is to access the heart of God for ourselves, having God’s heart beating within, is not, was not ever meant to stop with us.
His heart is meant to fill us, empower us, and transform us, pour forth from us unto our neighbors, to surely live in such a way we are “light in the darkness”.
Matthew 5:14-16 Easy-to-Read Version
14 “You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. 15 People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
As a believer you and I can reveal the heart of God to others.
We’ve been given access to a deep, revelatory knowledge of God’s love that you might shine the light of God’s goodness to a world that only knows darkness.
You and I can reveal the heart of God through the very way you and I honor yours and mine neighbors rather than speaking ill intent of our neighbors.
You and I can represent the humility of Jesus by serving our neighbor rather than being self-seeking.
Lifting the basket off of ourselves, we can reveal the light of God’s grace in our lives by offering compassion when others treat you or your neighbor poorly.
And you can display the courage that comes from a true understanding of God’s unconditional love by living authentically rather than building up a false image.
You and I were made to share God’s heart.
You and I were made to reveal God’s heart.
You and I were made to co-labor with God, our Savior Jesus and the Holy Spirit in seeing the truth of the gospel proclaimed and bear fruit in the lives of others.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
God has critically important work prepared for you and me today.
Look for opportunities to share what God, through Christ is doing in our life.
Look continuously, constantly for ways we can be that more genuine reflection of the aspects of God’s heart He is revealing to you and me every single day.
Do not let the love of God be hidden with us, contained within us like a super top classified “eyes only” secret, but “blow all whistled,” unveil it, share it freely, knowing His love never runs out, is what every human heart, is searching for.
Make a Friend, Be a Friend, Bring a Friend to Christ
Have you ever had the joy of sharing Christ with someone and actually seeing that person sit beside you and come to know the Lord as their personal Savior?
There is nothing quite the same in this world like it!
We know that resurrected Jesus said, “ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8).
How do we do what Jesus said?
Colossians 3:1-4 The Message
He Is Your Life
3 1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
He is so much a complete part of my life, I need to constantly “pray it forward.”
I need to be constantly aware of that the basket over my life needs to be lifted.
I need to be living a life which is more “God forward” than it is “me behind.”
to just go ahead and unleash this thought and this prayer from within me …
Psalm 19:11-14 The Message
11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar.
Getting to the Point of Asking: “Excuse Me, How is it With Your Soul?”
This is the sort of “self talk” which constantly runs through any too shy spirit:
“Everywhere I go people say to me, it is the old familiar story –
“I really want to bring someone to Christ, but I just don’t know where to start.”
I know it is true because I can confess my own guilty thoughts in this manner.
Please, Let me give you a few ideas that you may try to put into practice today…
Create a soul winning prayer list. Write down the names of those that you know need Christ and commit to pray for them every day. Ask the Lord to use you to personally reach them. Remember, we cannot pray if we are not willing to obey.
Commit gospel Scriptures to memory. We are to be ready always to give an explanation of the gospel (Ephesians 6:15; 1 Peter 3:15). The greatest thing you can give to others is God’s Word. Begin with John 3:16 and great salvation verses out of Romans. Memorize them. Meditate on them. Minister them to others.
Share your story. If you are a believer you have a story to tell! It is the story of how you came to know Christ and what He means to you. Next to the Scriptures it is the most powerful resource you have. Practice giving it to someone and prepare to give it to as many people as possible. Those who will never listen to a sermon will listen to your story.
Demonstrate the love of Christ. The gospel message begins with “For God so loved the world that He gave…” His love breaks down barriers and removes prejudices. Ask the Lord to help you show kindness to others. A little kindness may open a big door for the gospel.
Give gospel literature to others wherever you go. So many people I have met through the years were brought to Christ when reading a gospel tract. Never underestimate the power of the printed Word. As available, carry literature with you in a back pack. Accompany it with a personal word. God can use simple tools to accomplish His work.
Bring someone with you to a church service specifically to hear the gospel. Communicate to your pastor that you are prayerfully bringing someone with you who needs the Lord. Pray God will open their heart as they hear the truth.
Have a Bible study in your home or on the job. Starting, Inviting, Hosting an informal Bible study will give opportunities to get acquainted, discuss spiritual truths with neighbors and co-workers. Many people who would not “feel right” going to a church service or prayer meeting would come to a friend’s home.
Ask people to read the Gospel of John and to tell you what they think. I have had the greatest joy of seeing people come to faith in Christ through simply reading the Scriptures. At the very least, it opens the conversation about who Christ is. The Word of God for the Children of God is living, active, dynamic, powerful!
Pray daily, together as much as possible for divine appointments. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you both someone to talk to. That is a powerful prayer He will answer in His time! When answered, then the both of you live expectantly, looking everywhere for people that you can share the good news with.
Actually Begin. (Acts 2:37-47, Acts 3:1-10)No one becomes an effective witness by only reading about it. It is time to get off the pews, our couches, and get in the game! We all get nervous, but as we obey the Lord He has promised to help us.
Ask the Lord to prepare your heart and the the heart of some soul and give you a divine appointment today!
Some will respond positively.
Some will respond politely.
Some will respond politically.
Some will respond correctly.
Still more will respond out and out with vast amounts of negativity.
As we live, love and move and have our being in this world, don’t dwell upon your failures or look to your own performance as the basis of your security.
Be encouraged, keep trying as the Apostles did through out the Book of Acts.
Perhaps a study of the Book of Acts is the encouragement needed right now.
You have been raised with Christ.
He alone is your hope.
Make His glory, and not your own goodness, the focus of your days and you will find our behavior will certainly bear testimony to His life-transforming power.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit for as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be – risen lives, risen souls, worlds without end.
In the name of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on the importance of sharing God’s heart with the world. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to be a reflection of God’s heart.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
2. What aspect of God’s heart can you share with someone today? What part of God’s character can you reflect to the world around you?
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to put a person or group of people on your heart that he wants you to love well today. Ask him how he wants to use you to reveal the heart of God.
An important aspect of sharing God’s heart is trusting in faith, remembering that God will surely, certainly use your heart beat to inspire other heart beats.
When you choose to live a life co-laboring with your heavenly Father you get to experience the supernatural.
It’s miraculous when people choose to accept Jesus.
It’s astounding when our service, compassion, and love tears down walls around people’s hearts that they might be more open to God.
Don’t just live a normal life today.
Live a “I Am risen in Christ life today.”
Allow God to use you by sharing his heart.
May your day be filled with an abundance of miracles, signs and wonder and a ceaseless unrelenting awe at your heavenly Father who will unhesitatingly use you, me, us, in mighty and powerful ways – to build up His Kingdom on Earth.
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.[a]10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
Community Is Our Doing Difficult Things Together
When Jesus sent out his disciples, he had very specific thoughts in mind.
He sent them out together to do difficult things.
He sent them out together.
He gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff.
He charged them to take no bread, no bag, no money in their belts.
He charged them to wear only one tunic at a time and wear only sandals.
He charged them to knock on doors they did not know and ask for hospitality.
He sent them out into the villages ahead of them to preach and to heal.
He charged them to give their testimony wherever they went and stayed.
That meant each of the six pairs of Apostles went to six different villages.
To proclaim a message of repentance and of the coming of God’s Kingdom.
Even though it was incredibly unlikely they had a very clear grasp of exactly what they were being commanded to preach and give their testimony about.
And it is highly doubtful that any one of the twelve Apostles had spent any amount of time or expended any measure of effort towards believing they had the ability, could exercise any authority or power over any unclean spirits.
I’m sure they were apprehensive at first.
I am not so sure they seriously believed they could actually accomplish the task before them, to act directly, decisively in the astounding measure of confidence they were told, nay commanded by Jesus, to display before all of those people.
One does not get the very clear idea that any one of those twelve believed that much in themselves, believed that they had that even minimal value to others.
But, one thing is abundantly clear about this whole scene and that is Jesus said nothing to them about of any rescinding his direct command of their mission.
He commanded them to “Go!”
Told them how and when to “Go!”
And such was his command of the moment and his authority over the twelve:
So, in obedience, Go they did out into those random villages ahead of them.
What were they told to expect of their efforts – nothing specific.
What did Jesus hope and pray they learned from whatever levels of success or failure each of them would report back to him with?
Again, we note there were no specific expectations of success or failure.
No standards of measure for either success or failure are given to anyone.
No graphs or charts, no percentages, no lectures from any in management.
“Go! and do as I have commanded exactly as I have commanded you!”
“Learn your unspecified lessons from your efforts and report back to me.”
Unspecified Lessons being perhaps:
“Learning of God.”
“Trusting in God”
“Testifying and Witnessing of and to God”
“Your immeasurable inestimable undeniable VALUE to the Kingdom of God”
But when they came back, with no specific expectations having been placed upon them they each had amazing stories to tell of God’s power displayed in their world and perhaps hidden even from their own perception – Value to God!
They returned to Jesus with a new found confidence.
They returned to Jesus with a new found sense of self esteem, value to others.
They learned to believe in themselves.
They learned to believe in themselves and to value themselves.
They learned to have confidence in God.
They learn to trust and believe in God.
They learn to highly value God in the undeniable role God plays in their lives.
They learned to have confidence, to trust in, place high, higher, highest value on the words and the plans and the intentions and the works of their Rabbi.
God, together with us in faith Community brings all of that ‘wonder’ together.
How many of those villagers lives were touched and transformed, now found themselves with a renewed, fresh and refreshed and refreshing belief in God?
How many of those villagers found themselves and their curiosity peaked to start wondering about and following this Itinerant master Rabbi named Jesus?
It goes and does difficult things together—all the time witnessing the amazing work of God in the world around us, all the time assigning inestimable value to each, every one of us, what we have to bring “just as we are” unto His Kingdom.
Are We Recognizing Our Value to God’s Kingdom?
John 15:12-17 English Standard Version
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
When we think of these original apostles, we perhaps think of holy men of God.
And though they were gifted and dedicated, they also were all rather ordinary.
Jesus did not call these men because they were great; their greatness was the result of the call upon their lives through Jesus being obedient to His Father.
A great writer can take an ordinary unvalued piece of paper, and with the addition of his or her words, and God it suddenly becomes extremely valuable.
It wasn’t the blank piece of paper that was valuable; it was what the inspired thoughts which the writer, for whatever reason, just put down on that paper.
History has repeatedly taught us that a great artist can take a canvas and paint, and suddenly it becomes $$$$ costly work of art because of what the artist did.
It wasn’t the canvas that was valuable; it is what the inspired artist painted on the canvas.
As believers, we recognize in ourselves that we are sinners separated from God.
But let’s also recognize that when Christ came into our lives, He gave us value.
He put His treasure in earthen vessels, or in jars of clay, which are our lives.
As 2 Corinthians 4:7 tells us, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”
As Ephesians 2:8-10 Amplified so eloquently reminds each and every one of us;
8 For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; 9 not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. 10 For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].
With a new confidence and boldness, we have something to offer.
It is not self-confidence; it is God-confidence.
It is not self-esteem; it’s God-esteem.
God graciously forgave us and took us into His kingdom, and now He has made us someone of inestimable value to the work which God began at the beginning.
In the same way,
the original twelve apostles, called by their Master Rabbi Jesus were valuable because of what Jesus did in their lives, by summoning and sending them too.
Valued of Mankind versus Valued of God
“Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee, though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see, only thou art holy; there is none beside thee, perfect in power, in love and purity.”
Sinful man who goes to indescribable, unnecessary lengths to devalue itself in the eyes of self and of each other, devalue others through indescribable means,
Indescribably, stereotypically “crucify,” unimaginably devalue and degrade, disenchant, disenfranchise, dehumanize and to fully and utterly humiliate,
Sinful man whose eyes no longer are focused upon the inestimable value of life which God has assigned to each, every single cell of one of His own creations,
From the very beginning of all created things, and through the very end of all created things, God has always had one very specific, undervalued message;
God’s never changing message to everyone is exactly and exactingly this:
Genesis 1:26-27 Authorized (King James) Version
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
“I, and I alone assign all the value you will ever need or require in your life!”
God wrote His name on your heart when you gave your life to Jesus Christ.
He has given you incomparable value, valuable gifts and invaluable abilities.
He has fully, utterly and completely invested everything of Himself in you.
That is where your absolute value to God and His Kingdom comes from.
And that’s why you can make an absolutely miraculous, wondrous difference.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 139:1-18 Complete Jewish Bible
139 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I stand up, you discern my inclinations from afar, 3 you scrutinize my daily activities. You are so familiar with all my ways 4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai, you know all about it already. 5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front and laid your hand on me. 6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me, far too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there; if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there. 9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn and land beyond the sea, 10 even there your hand would lead me, your right hand would hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me, let the light around me be night,” 12 even darkness like this is not too dark for you; rather, night is as clear as day, darkness and light are the same.
13 For you fashioned my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I thank you because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders — I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in your book all my days were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed. 17 God, how I prize your thoughts! How many of them there are! 18 If I count them, there are more than grains of sand; if I finish the count, I am still with you.
Psalm 139:23-24 Complete Jewish Bible
23 Examine me, God, and know my heart; test me, and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is in me any hurtful way, and lead me along the eternal way.
Invaluable Father, Invaluable Son, Invaluable Holy Spirit, send us into the world together, in your inestimable name, to immeasurably love and value all thy children and to ceaselessly witness to your power at work through changing lives. Let us each bring to you only ceaseless, incalculable, indescribable, immeasurable, inestimable, invaluable, unrelenting glory unto your name and into your name alone. Amen.
16 From this time on we don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks. But we don’t think that way now. 17 When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world.[a] The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin[b] so that in Christ we could be right with God.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
The God of Reconciliation
Because of sin, we human beings are in constant and continuous rebellion.
From the beginning of Genesis until the final verses of Revelation, we are at war with our God, with ourselves, with our neighbors, and too with God’s creation.
By ourselves, we would never return to God.
We cannot hope to change our own heart.
We cannot hope to change anyone else’s heart.
We cannot hope to change God’s heart.
Without God, we don’t even have the wherewithal to realize that we are mired in the very worst kind of muck and stuck and lost in the lethal misery of sin.
Salvation is not a human initiative.
God took the initiative to reconcile us to himself.
God loves us so much that He sent his Son to save us not condemn us.
The absolutely innocent seeks the perfectly guilty.
The agent of reconciliation is Jesus Christ.
And now through Christ we can turn to God.
And now through Christ we can offer others the opportunity to turn to God.
Jesus is the one and only way to God.
He is the door, the gateway, to salvation.
He is the mediator who reconciles us to the Father.
To reconcile us to himself, God did not keep our transgressions on our account.
Instead, he laid the full weight of them square on the shoulders of Jesus Christ.
On the cross at Calvary, with His life blood, for love alone, the Son of God set himself aside, paid in full the debt that was against us, completely set us free.
And God credited us with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ so that no condemnation can weigh on us any longer.
Can anyone contemplate the magnitude of that statement?
Of exactly what Jesus was bringing with Him when He came into the world?
Of exactly what Jesus was offering us unrepentant sinners when He came to us?
About Those Unrepentant Sinners
Matthew 10:1-4 Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus Sends His Apostles on a Mission
10 Jesus called his twelve followers together. He gave them power over evil spirits and power to heal every kind of disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles:
Simon (also called Peter),
Andrew, the brother of Peter,
James, the son of Zebedee,
John, the brother of James,
3 Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew, the tax collector,
James, the son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus,
4 Simon, the Zealot,
Judas Iscariot (the one who handed Jesus over to his enemies).
Interestingly, Jesus chose these 12 young men who, at the time, had no real relationship with God.
They resided within the fringe of religiosity.
They were Jews, yes, but not born-again believers in Jesus Christ.
That didn’t happen until after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Until that time, they were disciples (“learners”) and friends of the man they hoped was the Messiah, the one who would redeem them from Roman rule.
Does that surprise you: that Jesus chose unsaved, Jewish-born men to be his closest followers?
That was his intention, honestly.
He was sent by God to purposely “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
Seek in Greek (zēteō) means “to search for, to crave.”
Jesus intentionally searched out, purposely sought after and deeply craved relationships with those who were unregenerate, with those who were the complete antithesis of himself: sinless, pure, and holy.
The reason I bring this up is many believers today have unsaved friends in their circle of relationships, and they may feel guilty (or even ashamed) that they do.
After all, some believers think that Christians should keep the unsaved at a distance, citing 1 Corinthians 15:33 Amplified as justification.
33 Do not be deceived: [a]“Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Yet, we, of all people, should, like Jesus, be seeking out the unsaved, craving their friendship (though not their influence), with the intention of being ambassadors for the Almighty, out of obedience to fulfilling the Great Commission of “making disciples,” and with the hope of bringing these unsaved friends to the Light, to receive the free gift of grace through faith.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 Amplified Bible
16 So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
What About Our Loving Our Unsaved Friends?
John 13:34-35 Amplified Bible
34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you [a]love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.”
I have unsaved friends and acquaintances.
And I believe, based on Jesus’ example with his disciples, that that’s a good thing.
From my own experience, here are a few ways (which are not exhaustive) to express our love to our unsaved friends.
These can also apply to unsaved family members, co-workers, neighbors—anyone in your relationship sphere who doesn’t know Jesus as Savior and Lord.
1. Value Them
This should go without saying, but in fact, in our culture today, which is so fraught with immediate polarization, immediate negative reactions around issues, sometimes we believers can tend to—perhaps unknowingly and unintentionally—“devalue” those who hold opposite principles than us.
We wont talk to them to avoid giving “offense.”
We will dance a waltz around them as we avoid stepping on fragile eggs that are invisibly spread impossibly far, wide, across every walking surface imaginable.
As if they are some kind of mythical vampire or werewolf, in our minds we will carry our crosses high and far out in front of us, waving them to ward them off.
We can tend to think less of them, we can tend to unintentionally dismiss them, and even pass our judgment on them out of self-righteousness and false piety.
But every person, whether we agree with them politically, morally, religiously, ethically, has value for the simple fact they are created by God, bear his image.
Even in their sinful state, they still carry God’s imprint.
Like us they bear the common-grace markings of God through the expression of their thoughts, morals, their ethics, their emotions, intellect, and creativity.
So, first off, as Christ himself did when he sought out His first twelve disciples, seek to value each unsaved friend as a God-created, God-imprinted person.
Look past their opinions, beliefs, and leanings.
Look at them through the lens of Creation,
based on Genesis 1:27: “So God created mankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (my emphasis added).
2. Accept Them
Accept them exactly where they are at.
The unsaved are going to act as, well, unsaved.
Their souls, minds, and hearts are un-regenerated.
They will think, believe, and act out of their sin-nature.
They will speak profanely, they will offend by speech or hygiene, they will drink (often to excess), they will be promiscuous, and they will slander and hate too.
They will act foolishly, irrationally, and sinfully.
Given this, we’re not to condemn them.
Frankly, we should expect them act unbecomingly in their depravity.
It should not shock us nor surprise us.
After all, we once did, too, before we surrendered our lives to Jesus as Savior and to the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier (Titus 3:3).
Therefore, God says we have no business passing judgment on our worldly-minded, worldly-living, unsaved friends, based on 1 Corinthians 5:12:
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?”
However, we aren’t to condone their behavior, either.
We graciously accept them as a person without condoning their sinful choices.
But when asked,
we gently and respectfully tell them we don’t agree or approve of their behavior (1 Peter 3:15-16), we use this “GOD” opportunity to share how we are compelled, because of what Jesus did for us, to now live under the guidance of God’s ways.
15 But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect. 16 And see to it that your conscience is entirely clear, so that every time you are slandered or falsely accused, those who attack or disparage your good behavior in Christ will be shamed [by their own words].
3. Listen to Them
Oftentimes we think the best way to show love is to talk—even if it’s about God—when in actuality, it’s to listen.
That old idiom,
“God gave us one mouth and two ears,” rings loud and true in this case.
When people feel listened to—really listened to—they feel respected, valued, and cared about.
Not to mention that God values a genuinely attentive listener.
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: you must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (James 1:19).
As people, they also have hopes and dreams, desires and aspirations, and pain and long-buried hurts, some of which may have been caused by the Church or other Christians.
Listening to them helps us to build commonality with them, and compassion for them, especially in their suffering.
Listening also breeds understanding.
We may not agree with our friend’s views, but listening allows us to come to an understanding of how and why they think and believe the way they do.
Furthermore,
people like nothing more than to be understood and appreciated for their opinions, values, and beliefs, even if they’re on the wrong side of the Bible.
Another benefit of listening—which was a new thought for me—is that it breeds patience in us, the listener.
Sitting and listening to someone you disagree with is difficult.
You will have to have patience.
And if you haven’t already developed the necessary tolerance for this task, just the practice of hearing others more often will gradually help you to create it.
If you find that you are struggling with the activity, try to remember you are listening to learn something new.
You can also listen with the intent to ask questions, and this will help you focus on the words the other person is saying more carefully.
So, listen to learn and understand.
Listen to show respect and value.
Listen to cultivate patience and compassion.
Conversely, listening will also earn you the right to be listened to.
Tit for tat, so to speak.
And then you have the wonderful opportunity to speak the truths of God, and your unsaved friend will likely be more apt to listen, to be a bit more receptive.
4. Pray for Them
“Prayer is the work,” someone once told me.
How true that is.
Prayer is the behind-the-scenes work in which all believers should be engaged.
Prayer is the work of seeking open doors for Gospel witnessing, of building God’s Kingdom.
James even tells us that “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
Prayer Builds Relationship With God.
Joyful hope and patience in affliction go against the grain of our own natures.
Despair and self-pity come much more easily.
In times like that, it’s important to turn to God in prayer.
We pray for many reasons: to thank God for blessings, to praise God, to confess sins, to seek God’s guidance.
In addition, we pray to ask God for help.
Asking God for help may be the most natural prayer of all.
Sometimes God answers our requests for help exactly as we ask, sometimes not.
Either way, the Bible calls us to be unceasingly faithful in prayer.
Prayer—thanking, praising, confessing, asking for help—connects us with God.
Prayer builds relationship.
Prayer strengthens the bond between God, our unsaved friends and us.
When you have a good relationship with someone, hopefulness and patience become a little easier, especially when that Someone is the Creator, Sustainer of the entire universe.
With regards to your unsaved friends (or whomever the Lord has burdened your heart with):
Pray for their hardened hearts to be softened (Romans 2:5)
Pray that God implants a new, humble, clean, pure, and believing heart within them (Ezekiel 36:26, Matthew 18:4, Psalm 51:10, Matthew 5:8, Romans 10:10).
Pray that their darkened minds may be enlightened to understand God’s truths, to be renewed, transformed, and focused on things above rather than on things below (Ephesians 4:18, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:12).
Pray for blind eyes to suddenly “see” the Light of this world, which saves, and the glory of God and his goodness (2 Corinthians 4:4, Luke 4:18, John 3:3, Psalm 34:8, John 8:12).
Pray for plugged ears become unplugged, to suddenly “hear” the Good News (Romans 1:16, 10:14, 17).
5. Be More Like Jesus: Show Them Grace
John 1:14 Amplified Bible
The Word Made Flesh
14 And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).
Jesus was God’s grace personified.
He came not to condemn but to show grace to those who least deserved it: the sinners.
He extended a helping hand to those who were suffering, he likewise extended a kind word to those who were desperate, and, when necessary, he too unerringly spoke the hardcore truth in confronting the nature of our sin, and yet with love.
Grace upon grace.
We should be God’s grace personified, as well, to our unsaved friends.
We may be the only people who show them grace when they fail or sin grievously.
Our extending grace to them when all others are judging and dismissing may just be exactly what they need to experience for them to finally see their need for a Savior, to repent, to pray their sinners prayer and so to receive salvation.
What About Our “Efforts” to Love as Jesus Loved?
As believers in Christ, yes, we’re called to remain holy (“separate”) in our conduct and are not to conform to this world.
But that isn’t justification to withdraw from the world or from its people.
Quite the opposite.
Distancing ourselves from the unsaved is not an option, nor is it even biblical.
Rather, Jesus told his disciples and us to “Go” into the world (“to all nations”) and to make disciples for the transformation of the world. (Matthew 28:19-20)
And many times, only but by the grace of God, does that happen, when we all intentionally and prayerfully build up genuine friendships with the unsaved.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Reconciling Christ, by Your grace, forgiveness and mercy, bless our efforts to bring about reconciliation. Give us the strength to persevere without counting the hurts, and to find within ourselves the capacity to keep on loving.
Give us the grace to be able to stand in the middle of situations, and to be a conduit for the deep listening which can lead to healing and forgiveness.
Help us to conduct ourselves with dignity, giving and expecting respect, moving from prayer to action, and from action back again into prayer.
Grant that we may be so thoroughly grounded and rooted in your love,that our security is not threatened if we change our minds,or begin to see a better way to act.
Bless those who are called to reconcile on a large-scale –politicians, world leaders, leaders of business, and those who stand in the midst of bitter conflict.
Reconciling Christ, bless us and bless all who engagein the sacred work of envisioning new wholeness,and bringing people and nations together. AMEN.
29 When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. 30 And don’t make the Holy Spirit sad. God gave you his Spirit as proof that you belong to him and that he will keep you safe until the day he makes you free. 31 Never be bitter, angry, or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. 32 Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other the same as God forgave you through Christ.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
Building Others Up
While I was growing up, one of the things we were taught was to always tell the truth.
Of course!
But one important ingredient in telling the truth was sometimes left out.
We were not always told that we should speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
As a result I’ve sometimes told the truth without any regard for how it might hurt the other person.
According to the apostle Paul, we are to say only “what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.”
Before we speak, we need to ask ourselves:
“Should I say what I am about to say? And is it the right time to say it? Will I be speaking the truth in love, and will it build the other person up?”
If we learn to speak the truth in love and say only what builds others up, our relationships at home, at school, on the job, and everywhere else will go better.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you use the gift of speech to build up others.
Communicating More Like Christ
Communicate with people long enough, and two things become apparent: no one changes their mind on a topic after being insulted, and not everyone can or wants to be killed with a constant barrage of kindness – it sounds disingenuous.
If you search online, you can find a ton of videos of so-and-so ‘owning’ so-and-so in a debate – it is more important for some reason to be greater than.
Has anyone ever left one of those “I am better because debates” feeling even the least bit changed or more likely wondering why they wasted their time, efforts?
In our own personal lives, great expanse of social media, we do not have to look hard for examples of people striving to be inoffensive in everything they do.
Yet, at some point, they cause offense.
Because there will always be someone who will automatically take that offense.
Both of these approaches are severely flawed.
If you want evidence, then look around.
We all know that something has gone terribly awry in our society.
How fast We have forgotten how to talk to strangers, how to find depth in our conversations, how to give, take criticism, and learn how to agree to disagree.
The list goes on and on.
We pride ourselves as good communicators without actually understanding what good communication entails.
And though we all see the ever growing, ever expansive array of issues present in our culture, we don’t “erroneously blame ourselves”, just all the opposition.
We are all too quick to blame other Christians, non-Christians. The Democrats. The Republicans. Men. Women. the Older generations. the Younger generations.
Philippians 2:1-3 Easy-to-Read Version
Be United and Care for Each Other
2 Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, 2 then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. 3 In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves.
Is it .001% possible, could some measure of responsibility rest with all of us?
Are My Words Too Harsh or Too Kind?
In my own life, I’ve experienced first-hand how people refuse to take criticism.
In my life and I am reasonably sure in your life and experience, we have had more than our fair share of people who refuse to acknowledge even .01% truth.
One man told me she was working on not talking so much about himself.
Naturally, I called him on it, to his immediate gratitude.
Two weeks later, after consulting numerous other people, he came back saying nothing was wrong with his communication and that I was a nagging egotist.
Likewise, everyone is striving not to offend in any way.
One elderly Christian woman told me that she makes every effort to call people by their preferred pronouns because she steadfastly believes they “feel better.”
Other Christians I know make jokes that are so tame and innocuous, yet still meet their words with rampant apologies, just “in case” there’s “any offense.”
Never in my life can I recall, have I heard someone consider themselves a bad communicator, not unless they suffered something traumatic like a betrayal.
In those situations, they are forced to confront reality.
For the rest of us, we strive ever harder, to be ever smarter, more politically correct, to keep up with the veneer for as long as we can, sometimes forever.
I’ve had to ask myself, am I a Christian whose words are too harsh or too kind?
That’s a righteous question every believer should be asking themselves today.
Someone has to be the impetus for change.
Besides, if we are to effectively model ourselves after Christ, we should do so not just in the way we pray or the way we trust, but in the way we communicate.
Ways to Communicate More Like Christ
Here are some ways we can do better to communicate more like Christ.
1. Avoid Being Too Harsh
Saying things just to rile people up is self-defeating.
Not only is the recipient’s mind and heart not changed, but you potentially ruin the relationship in the process.
Even if you’re not intending to be harsh, be mindful of your words.
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and predict how they will respond to what you’re about to say.
Sometimes being offensive is necessary, other times, not so much.
2. Avoid Being Too Nice
Saying things just to get people to like you is self-defeating.
In fact, people-pleasing is a sin (Galatians 1:10).
10 Now do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the one I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.[Easy to Read Version]
Rather than actually appreciating you, they’ll only appreciate what you offer.
The moment the offering stops so does their appreciation.
Furthermore, you enable bad behavior when you only go along to get along.
Apathy and Complacency results for them and for you.
3. Engage with People
People will remain strangers unless you talk to them.
Growing your social circles doesn’t need to be objective, but what about serving others?
The more willing we are to engage with people we know and those we don’t, the more we can display God’s kingdom here on Earth through humble servitude.
There’s an obvious difference between a community that communicates in contrast with a community who “politically” “socially” isolates that does not.
4. Be Honest
Be honest with other people, and be honest with yourself.
If you withhold the truth from people, then you’re being deceitful or, even worse, lying.
That’s a sin.
If you aren’t honest with people about their sins, then you are enabling them.
Don’t think for a second God will not hold you accountable nor blameless.
Similarly, sometimes people don’t give us the truth because they are afraid of how we will respond.
They don’t think we can handle the truth, and if they’re correct, that’s a serious problem.
If we recognize ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior, then we must be flawed.
And if flawed, then we can and should be admonished.
5. Stop Talking about Yourself
Too many of our conversations start, end, and endure because of the subject matter – ourselves.
How many conversations would we have, and how long would we bother talking if instead of discussing ourselves, we focused on other people and their ideas?
6. Actually Love People
A number of us Christians believe we are loving others, when in fact, we are doing just the opposite.
To love someone does not equal nor equate to being nice to them.
To love someone is to do what’s best for them.
Sometimes that love manifests as nice words and gestures.
Sometimes love manifests as punishment and criticism.
In either case, the intended result is the same – to help the other grow.
Connecting This With Living Into The Resurrection
Once we have identified ways in which we can grow and mature, then grow and mature into living into the resurrection life Christ Jesus died to exemplify to all.
Once we have identified ways we can help others grow and mature, then we help them grow and mature into the resurrection life Christ Jesus died to exemplify.
Obviously change and transformation won’t “simply” happen for them or for us overnight, but only by the grace of God, 100% change can and will happen.
And if we can change as individuals, then as a community, change is inevitable.
The signs of a degrading society don’t have to be qualities we accept.
We have the choice right now to be different, and if different, then better.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19:13-14 Easy-to-Read Version
13 Don’t let me do what I know is wrong. Don’t let sin control me. If you help me, I can be pure and free from sin. 14 May my words and thoughts please you. Lord, you are my Rock—the one who rescues me.
Bread of life,
through your lifeyou taught us to put away bitterness and anger,
through your life you ministered to us with tenderhearted kindness
to humble ourselves,to share the fruit of our labor with the needy.
By your resurrection, by thy empty tomb, Strengthen us by your grace,
that in a blessed and holy and most sacred communion with you,
we may forgive one another as you forgave us all on Calvary‘s mount.
and with you alone in our hearts, live in love as Christ loved us. Amen.
12 We tell everyone that Christ was raised from death. So why do some of you say that people will not be raised from death? 13 If no one will ever be raised from death, then Christ has never been raised. 14 And if Christ has never been raised, then the message we tell is worth nothing. And your faith is worth nothing. 15 And we will also be guilty of lying about God, because we have told people about him, saying that he raised Christ from death. And if no one is raised from death, then God never raised Christ from death. 16 If those who have died are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised from death, then your faith is for nothing; you are still guilty of your sins.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
Doubters Going to Doubt, Haters – Hate
We are at the closing words of Paul’s First Letter to the followers at Corinth.
Despite the Corinthian Christians being saved by grace through faith in Christ, Paul had some severe concerns about their ungodly conduct, their spiritual immaturity, their argumentative behavior, and their abuse of spiritual gifts.
When any church fellowship allows carnality to enter its gates and permits the philosophy of the world to infiltrate its ranks, it is not the least surprising that doubts, false doctrines begin to proliferate and false teachers enter the flock of God – knowingly, unknowingly muddying the crystal-clear message from God.
Sadly, this is what happened at the Church at Corinth to such a great extent… that the central, foundational facts of their faith in Christ’s death, burial, and Resurrection became so distorted the saints had started to deny the likelihood of Christ’s actual resurrection and of their very own resurrection from the dead.
Although they did acknowledge that there was some form of life after death … they had started to suggest that there would be no bodily resurrection from the grave – they didn’t believe in the physical resurrection of the body through God.
These early 1st Century Christians, with their limited understanding, bought into the mistaken belief that there is no physical resurrection from the dead.
Though some may have yet believed in some type of spiritual afterlife – Paul found it necessary to cover this complex, growing misunderstanding, in great detail in 1st Corinthians 15 – which is often called the Resurrection Chapter.
In this closing part of his letter, step by step, Paul was guiding these confused Christians through the gospel message of grace – that Christ died for our sins according to the Words of available Scripture, and that he was buried, and was raised from the dead, according to the Scripture.
He made the substantial effort to remind them that following his death, Jesus appeared to James and the other apostles and that He ate and drank with them.
He further reminded them through the availability of many yet living witnesses who saw Him with their own eyes and touched Him with their very own hands.
These early believers in Corinth needed be bottle and spoon fed “spiritual milk” before given their forks “stab, dig into,” with gusto, to feast and feed on, fully ingest the “best spiritual meat and potatoes” of the most fulfilling, nourishing central tenets of their faith to understand that Christ was their very pattern –
and that all who believe on His name must follow in His footsteps… for He is the firstborn from the dead – the first of many who will be raised into life immortal.
To mature in their faith, know their old sin nature was put to death with Christ on the Cross, and they received a new nature, a new life being the life of Christ.
And just as they are identified with their new life, this new life hidden in Christ, with Christ’s resurrection, so they are identified with His bodily Resurrection.
Why We Can Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Easy-to-Read Version
The Good News About Jesus Christ
15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to remember the Good News I told you. You received that Good News message, and you continue to base your life on it. 2 That Good News, the message you heard from me, is God’s way to save you. But you must continue believing it. If you don’t, you believed for nothing.
3 I gave you the message that I received. I told you the most important truths: that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say; 4 that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day, as the Scriptures say; 5 and that he appeared to Peter and then to the twelve apostles. 6 After that Christ appeared to more than 500 other believers at the same time. Most of them are still living today, but some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James and later to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, he appeared to me. I was different, like a baby born before the normal time.
With these words, Apostle Paul pointed out believing on Christ’s Resurrection is foundational to the Corinthian follower’s faith – because He lives, we will also live, in newness of life – in newness of the abundant life only available in Christ.
Translating This Into Our 21st Century Context
Scripture teaches that we will one day receive a body like unto His glorious body… uncorrupted by sin – an immortal body of flesh and bone that will never die – for His life-blood was shed at Calvary so that we might receive His resurrected life in an incorruptible body, through the power of the Spirit.
Like Jesus, we are to be raised spirit, soul, and BODY.
If Christ had not been raised from the dead, then everything about the glorious gospel of grace, and our faith in the Lord Jesus would be false and worthless!!
“If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is worthless,” Paul wrote, “and you are still in your sins!”1 Corinthians 15:17
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the emptiness of the Tomb, the immovable stone rolled away are the exact cornerstone of our Christian faith.
If Christ did not rise from the dead, your faith is in vain. But you can be assured that the good news is true. Jesus Christ “was buried [and] he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:4).
Throughout the ages, countless skeptics have tried to disprove the Resurrection experience, but after two thousand some odd years, it stands to the test of time.
Scriptural Proofs of the Resurrection
2 Timothy 3:14-17 Easy-to-Read Version
14 But you should continue following the teaching you learned. You know it is true, because you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have known the Holy Scriptures[a] since you were a child. These Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. 17 Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.
Here are at least six proofs that reveal Savior Jesus actually rose from the dead:
First Proof— The Resurrection was foretold by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. —Matthew 16:21
Second Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for His empty tomb.
Joseph brought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. —Mark 15:46
Third Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the appearance of Jesus Christ to his disciples.
He was buried…raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and…appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to…me also, as to one abnormally born. —1 Corinthians 15:4-8
Fourth Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the beginning of the Christian Church.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a noise came from heaven. It sounded like a strong wind blowing. This noise filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw something that looked like flames of fire. The flames were separated and stood over each person there. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak different languages. The Holy Spirit was giving them the power to do this.– Acts 2:1-4
This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. —Acts 2:23-24
Fifth Proof— The Resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the transformation of the disciples.
The disciples went into hiding in an upper room “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19).
After seeing and talking with Jesus for approximately six weeks, they went out to “turn the world upside down” (see Acts 17:6), and fearlessly proclaiming Jesus Christ (also see Acts 3:12-26; 4:1-33; 8:4; 17:6).
Sixth Proof— The Damascus Road Experience: The witness of the apostle Paul and the transformation of his life, can be reasonably explained only because of the resurrection of Christ. Acts 9:1-22
“Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9:22).
There are undoubtedly more “proofs” other far more educated people can bring to the forefront of a public debate, discussion on this critically important topic.
I am a laity person – I have no seminary nor any theological school background.
It is my prayerful intent and hope that by anyone reading this devotional, that a whole host of significant discussions will be forthcoming and undertaken in all manner of places and times amongst Christians everywhere this writing is read.
Quality time and effort is expended in diligent study of the Word of God for His Children, not just study but significant times spent fellowshipping and prayer.
There is a great many “1st Century Corinthian followers” among us even today.
There are many on the streets who will not hesitate to “in your face” directly confront our faith and our knowledge of the central tenets of the resurrection.
It absolutely matters to the Kingdom of God that we can make our sure defense.
Someone’s eternal soul hangs by the very barest and least visible of threads.
How prepared are any one us reading this devotional to walk up to any stranger
Ask the single most important question anyone, every one needs to hear:
IS IT WELL WITH YOUR SOUL TODAY?
Let us pray that soon and very soon we can all come together to console each other, to reconcile ourselves with God, study the truth of God’s Word and read and plumb the deepest depths of this amazing 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, and let us discover and let us extract and let us each share the truest wonders of the bodily resurrection that is now ours in Christ.
All who have been saved by grace through faith in Him, have been promised their earthly, perishable body will be raised a heavenly, imperishable body.. and our mortal flesh will be changed into immortality in the twinkling of an eye.
How wonderful would it be for the Kingdom of God to know we can sing with all the saints: “Where exactly O death is your victory and Where O grave is your sting?”
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Heavenly Father, thank You for the amazing 15th chapter of Corinthians which goes into such specific detail about Christ’s victory over sin and death – on our account. I praise and thank You that because of His great sacrifice on the Cross and glorious, bodily Resurrection, we too are raised into newness of life in Christ – not only in this world but also into the eternal ages to come, where we will be clothed in our eternal, resurrected bodies – for when we see Him as He is we shall be like Him, for which I cannot, will not cease to praise Your holy name. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 