No two pots alike

In the field of medicine, we often use the phrase, "See one. Do one. Teach one." It describes the process of not only being told "how" to do something, but demonstrating you are going to do it with consistency each time. The other night, I made mom a pot of soup as she had been saying she fancied homemade soup. I had lots of ingredients for the vegetable dense soup, complete with 97% fat free ground beef with which I created a multitude of tiny meatballs to add the mix. She loved it. After it was all gone, she asked if I'd make another pot, but if you know how I make soups, you will quickly know that no two pots turn out exactly the same! I add a little of this, that, and the next thing until I reach the taste I am looking for with whatever ingredients are available at the time. Needless to say, she ate it and enjoyed it very much, but as she said, "It wasn't quite the same." The consistency was not there between the two pots of soup because there was no set recipe I followed and that made the 'experience' of the soup different each time. In our walk with Christ, there is room for unique experiences, but there is great value in developing consistency!

We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.  (I John 1:3)

Fellowship is more than an acquaintance with someone. It is a closeness of relationship that involves companionship - that type of relationship that is comfortable. For many people, fellowship with a holy God is a scary and overwhelming thing. There is a fear of entering into fellowship, finding they are getting too close to God for comfort, because God is good and we are not. Communion, or fellowship, speaks of a degree of intimacy that is not easily "faked". It must be genuine - developing over perhaps years - and is not easily broken. Our communion with God is the same. There are no short-cuts into fellowship with God. If we have fellowship with God, we have fellowship with one another - a condition that will definitely encourage our growth and development. If we have been affected by the blood of Christ, we are on a pathway of being purified from all sin.

That should give us encouragement that we are able to approach a holy God - it should also give us hope that we can develop this type of intimacy with him. God knows that we are "visual" people - we often need to see something to fully understand it. So, in his love for us, he gives us each other - in order that we might learn the principles of fellowship (communion, intimacy). The next time you look at a close friend, or even a budding acquaintance, rest assured that he/she is placed in your life to teach you some of the principles of true fellowship. They are also there to help us learn the 'consistency' of fellowship and communion - a type of "life-line" for our continued growth and development.

There are all kinds of reality shows these days where folks are left on islands, devoid of the trappings of home, and often devoid of other human contact. The 'alone' experience is not all that some think it will be - they absolutely cannot live without that human contact. Some have said that companionship (fellowship) is a basic need for humans - without it, we wither up and are not able to meet our full potential. We are created as social beings. Love is something we both need and are required to give away. It is a two-way street. We crave relationship on one hand, yet fear it on the other. The neat thing about God's plan is that he always brings someone across our path that will help us learn to love. We often find ourselves gravitating toward someone who has learned to love well - thereby learning how to love well in return - becoming more and more consistent in our love. We are looking for models all around us - we are imitators of what we see, hear, and experience.

This is exactly why God sets us up in the local church - to learn to love as he loves. It is a place of "learning". We "learn" to be companionable creatures - often by trial and error. We "learn" to be truthful and we learn to hold onto a truth that has been shared. In time, we "learn" to trust deeply. God has been providing us with the opportunities to develop intimacy in natural relationship so that we understand the aspects of intimacy with him (fellowship). The invitation is to come into fellowship. The opportunity for fellowship is two-fold: first with God, second with those he puts in our path. We learn to be comfortable in companionship from other "path dwellers" as they serve to drive us deeper into companionship with our God. As we learn to love God, we are also learning to love those individuals along our path. Love is reciprocal - it must be experienced and passed on - it must become consistent.

The more we desire to love God, the more we will desire to love those he places in our path. What are your other "path-dwellers" showing you about God's love, grace, and joy? What are they exposing in you that brings you to your knees? What are you exposing in them that brings them to their knees? Remember...love is experienced in stages - each building upon the other - exponentially. Fellowship with God grows in the same way - one revealed truth after another. Come into communion (fellowship) with God and experience what he has for you today. In time, consistency will develop. Just sayin!

A well-placed heel

The moment we realize we are in the thick of the fight, we can begin to waver a little bit in our faith, can't we? Being on the outside looking in isn't all that intimidating, but being right there in the middle of the fight - well that is a different matter all together! God rarely calls us into spectator faith - he wants us involved! That means we will get our hands dirty on occasion, and that we won't always be able to be observers. There will be times we must step up, be the one to take on the enemy, and then to push on through until we see the enemy turn tail and run. At other times, we will be called to fight to the death - not ours - the enemy we face off with will be the one to meet their end. There is no middle-ground in this Christianity thing - either we are in it or not!

When they had them all there in front of Joshua, he called up the army and told the field commanders who had been with him, "Come here. Put your feet on the necks of these kings." They stepped up and put their feet on their necks. Joshua told them, "Don't hold back. Don't be timid. Be strong! Be confident! This is what God will do to all your enemies when you fight them." (Joshua 10:24-25)

Joshua was going up against one army after another as Israel was coming into possession of their promised land - Canaan. One of the tribes of Israel, Gibeon, was in serious trouble with enemy kings surrounding them. Not just one army attacking, but five Amorite kings had mustered their military might and had surrounded Gibeon! Ever feel like Gibeon? Surrounded on all sides and ready to send up the white flag? Ready to call it quits - to just be a spectator again...maybe all we need it to 'send word' that we need help - that this enemy we are facing is bigger or tougher than we can face on our own. The men of Gibeon send word to Joshua that they are surrounded and require his immediate intervention. They raise the standard higher - not of surrender - but of intent to fight on.

Joshua had been camped at Gilgal with his army. They had to march all night to reach Gibeon, but the call for help would not go unanswered. As they approached Gibeon, scripture tells us that God threw all the military of these five opposing kings into immediate panic and confusion. The five armies scattered to the hills and valleys - running in panic. This military battle is probably best known for the prayer of Joshua - asking God to stop the sun and moon - giving him more time to attack until every last one was rounded up. The five kings were not too eager to lose their lives, so they hid in a cave - just remember that - the enemy often hides out, hoping we will just give up in our pursuit of their total destruction. When Joshua and his men had finished the work of taking the five armies, they came back to the cave and took the kings.  They are brought before the people of Israel, where the military field leaders of Israel's army are instructed to come forward and place their feet on the necks of these five kings. A strange thing to ask, huh? Not really when you understand the purpose or symbolism of that maneuver.

Joshua was giving Israel a visual display of the might of their God. He was showing them that God had delivered these kings and all their military might or tactics into their hands. They were victorious over even the strongest of the military in the land - none could stand in their way. The foot on the neck is a symbol of victory - it is a sign of submission by those that are held in such a manner. A humbling experience for these kings of the Amorites indeed. Imagine how our enemy might feel when we do exactly the same thing! Nothing can stand against the people of God. God is supreme and when he is raised up in the lives of his people, he will go before them. When we have the faith to believe the impossible, God has the wherewithal to do the impossible. I have never asked the sun or moon to stand still, but I have asked God to heal cancer, restore lost children, and release me from guilt, just to name a few. In each prayer, he has been faithful. Victory belongs to God. As his children, it belongs to us, too. He invites us forward, just as Joshua invited the military field commanders to come, in order that we might place our foot on the neck of our greatest enemies.

Our enemies come in many forms - that favorite sin that drags us down, the long-held shame of past failures, the present compromise of misplaced affections. Regardless of the form, God is victor over all. If we are "in Christ" and Christ is "in us", then we are victors over all, as well. Today, we are invited to come into victory - not to be observers, but participants in pushing that enemy fully out of the caves where they hide in our lives and then declaring our total and absolute victory over them. Ask God for what seems impossible. Place your heel upon the neck of your enemy today. Your victory awaits. Just sayin!

Desert or High Ground?

In today's mad rush to find fame and fortune, we often miss out on the things in life that really give us the most satisfaction. I was talking with a friend one time about how one of her close friends was asked why she never had children. The answer was, "We just got so busy that we forgot to have them." Career, interests, making a living - each presented a distraction that kept the couple from realizing the passage of time. As time passed, it became just too late in life for her to safely consider carrying a child. Passage of time had barely been noticed until she realized the impact that passage actually had on her physical body. I wonder what it is we might miss down the road because we didn't take time today to recognize it, appreciate it, or use it as it was intended for us to use?

God—you're my God! I can't get enough of you! I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory. In your generous love I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains. I bless you every time I take a breath; my arms wave like banners of praise to you. (Psalm 62:1-5)

Look at the words of King David and you will observe how he finds time for God, even in the midst of the Judean wilderness, being pursued by enemies galore. He even acknowledged that he had "worked up such a hunger and thirst" for his God - as one who could not get enough of something they really, really enjoyed. Where did this hunger and thirst occur for David? You might be surprised to realize that it was in those travels across dry and weary deserts - the driest places of his lifetime. Did you ever stop to think that the purpose of some the driest and weariest places in your life were designed by God to bring you to a place of hunger and thirst?

You would likely consider me a lunatic if I told you that the driest places can be the richest experiences of your life - simply because we don't equate the 'desert place' with life and richness! Think about it - do we really find as much satisfaction in making a trip to the well when we are not that thirsty as we do when we are parched and dry? Do we drink as deeply when the need is for basic hydration versus thirst? The dry times cause us to both drink deeper and to enjoy what we are experiencing in God! Satisfaction really has a couple of meanings - being contented, and being fulfilled. Water has a different meaning to us when we are parched!

Contentment is something that comes because we have peace of mind. Peace of mind, body, and soul is not something of our own making - it comes from drinking deeply of God's graces, enjoying his provisions, and realizing his protection. Fulfillment is usually associated with coming to an end of something - the work is completed. Coming through a dry place in life is rewarding - there is enjoyment in the realization of what has been achieved in the space of the wilderness. The wilderness may be harsh at first, but the things we experience there are deeper and with huge promise of fulfillment. The invitation to us today is to come into satisfaction. There, if we are willing to drink deeply and taste of his goodness, we will find great delight for our weary souls, searching spirits, and boggled minds. We can try to skirt the dry places as much as possible in life, but trust me on this one, we are passing by some pretty amazing opportunities to be touched by God! Just sayin!

Hey, I've got something for you!

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. (Psalm 119:66)

Here we find the very personal invitation to "learn of God". Jesus was calling his disciples in the early part of his earthly ministry - a calling they'd never really understand until after he was taken from this earth. John was curious about where it was that Jesus stayed - where did he lay his head at night, how did he make a living, who was this guy really. He asked Jesus where he lived and Jesus' response was to "come and see". This is perhaps the most rewarding invitation anyone can receive - come and see. It implies the ability to come into a fuller revelation of all that we are curious about. To come is an action on our part, but to truly see as we need to see - well, that is all on him!

In the spiritual sense, there is a great deal that causes us to be curious, if even just a little bit - figuring out how the whole Trinity thing works, understanding the mystery of just how a virgin could be found with child, working through the idea that a loving God allows bad stuff to happen to good people, and the list could go on. It is always good to ask God to teach us knowledge and good judgment - we need more than knowledge - we also need to know how to put it into operation within our lives. We come to God for revelation - wanting God to disclose to us the things that we are curious about. Our request does not stop at the gaining of knowledge because we need to ask God for good judgment, too.

What is the difference? Knowledge is gained through study, seeking intently, and being wide open to learning. Good judgment is the wisdom to apply that knowledge that we have received. One without the other is like only wearing one shoe! You will stumble along with one foot well-protected from the elements while the other is exposed. 

If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as you would for silver and search for it as for a hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  (Proverbs 2:3-5)

The knowledge of God is not something for the weak-hearted or half-baked. It requires a commitment to really seeking it out - but in that seeking there is a guarantee that it will be found when we seek with an intensity. Never forget - with knowledge comes the accountability to use what it is that we have been given. That scares some people - being held accountable is not something we naturally gravitate toward. We often resist being held accountable - because it is work on our part! The invitation to come into knowledge is both rewarding and a little frightening. If I can dissuade you from turning tail and bolting right now, I want to let you know that the reward is much greater than the effort to learn of God, or the issue of being held accountable. So, I encourage you to come into knowledge - spend time with him, getting to know him and learn of him. He delights in having all men come to a knowledge of the truth! (I Timothy 2:4) Just learnin!

Got rest?

Have you ever heard someone calling out, not really sure the call is intended for you, then kind out of some sense of niggling in your mind, you turn to see someone beckoning you? My BFF and I were headed into work the other day, only to hear someone calling out, "Good morning, Dynamic Duo!" At first, we didn't turn, because we didn't really understand what was being said - then as it came again a couple more times, I turned to see it was our Chief Nursing Officer calling out to the two of us. Had it not been for that niggling, I wouldn't have turned. We may have missed the encounter that day! There are times we almost miss the most important encounters of our day - just because we aren't paying attention to the 'calling voice' somewhere in the distance!

"Come!" say the Spirit and the Bride. Whoever hears, echo, "Come!" Is anyone thirsty? Come!
All who will, come and drink, Drink freely of the Water of Life! (Revelation 22:17)

An invitation is something that many of us regard as a thing of honor - to be invited to an event, to participate in some significant memory, is a significant point of enjoyment in our lives. We have an invitation presented to us this morning in our passage to "come". There are several things that we are invited to participate in that are presented to us in scripture. These are invitations that we could miss if we aren't paying close attention. One such invitation we are encouraged to participate in is that of rest. We are called upon to participate in a rest that is outside of our own doing - it is the rest that only God can produce deep within our spirit.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 22:17)

What does this invitation sound like to you? Normal, everyday trudging through life? If you are like the majority of us, the answer is yes. We are tired - burned out - not just on religion, but on all kinds of matters of life. We get "worn out" because we are trying to live life by our own terms - trying to "fix" everything in our own power - balancing all the balls in the air all at one time. There is nothing more fatiguing than to have the idea that we can do things all on our own - like when we think that if we want something done right we'll have to do it ourselves. Where's that been getting you? For me, it has made me arrive more than once at a point of fatigue, frustration, and even a little bit of anger on occasion.

David tells us that his soul found rest in God alone (Psalm 62:1) - no other place of rest equaling what he found when he settled into the rest only God provided. Mind, will and emotions have a tendency to be in conflict many times. The mind races ahead in unending reasoning and rationalization, working out every detail to the "nth" degree. The will struggles with each decision along the way, sometimes with great stress produced, and even anger because things are harder than we wanted them to be. The emotions consume our energy as the turmoil of keeping up with the mind's thought and the will's struggles taunts us at every turn. Sound familiar to anyone?

So, how do we "come into" rest in the way God defines rest? The answer comes in another passage written by David: "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1) I highlighted those two words so we'd understand there is an imperative here; the truth is that we WILL experience the rest we so desire based upon where it is we WILL dwell! There is a place of "dwelling" that gives us rest. To "dwell" means to remain - to continue in - the shelter of the Most High. The presence of God must be cultivated - we have to take the time to truly experience God. Rest is a result of knowing his presence is with us in all matters. Rest is a condition of mind, soul, and spirit brought on by taking time to "cease" the endless mayhem of our day and to refocus on the one who made the day in the first place.

There are things that get in the way of truly celebrating the presence of our One True God. Sometimes we just need to stand and look - there is a call to refocus. Then we are to ask where the good way is - this is taking time to seek God's plans over our own - getting direction before we take steps to be outside of his will and into areas we should not be getting into in the first place. There is also a cal to walk in God's rest or peace - this is a call to be obedient to what is revealed (submitting our will). Then...and only then, do we find rest for our souls. Rest is not as elusive as we may think - it is truly just as close as the presence of God. The invitation is given to come into rest - ceasing from our labors long enough to enjoy the presence of God - thereby experiencing a right order to our thoughts, a freedom from the struggle of our will, and the settling of our often out of control emotions. Rest is found in a person - not in any action, any location, any plan. It is in God and him alone. In the shelter of his wings, we find rest. Just restin!

All things...

At times, we want to understand better what is really going on in our lives - because without 'knowing' a little bit more, we might just give up on the whole kit and caboodle. What a joy it is to come to the place where we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is at work in our lives - doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. We "know" - we have come to recognize, understand completely, become so familiar with God and his ways that we don't question his plans or purposes. This comes to most of us through some form of experience - there is no substitute for seeing God's work in our lives - no substitute for the manifestation of his purpose - no substitution for just 'experiencing' God's protection as we 'go through' whatever it is we are going through right now.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.  (Romans 8:28-29)

How is it that we come to know about God and how he works? We come to a place where we recognize that he works "in all things" - in every kind or variety of circumstance - taking the whole matter into his hands, nothing being left incomplete or without his attentive care. We cannot say this about ourselves because we are very good at leaving all kinds of "loose ends" all the time. God is not a "loose ends" kind of God - he ties them up, one by one. We can also know that God takes all things - every matter or concern we face - even the accomplishments of our lives, and works them for the good in our lives - even when all the pieces seem kind of 'bad'. He puts the pieces together - placing them into effective operation like only he can do - bringing the results that only he can orchestrate. His ultimate purpose in intervening in our lives is to bring what is morally honorable, pleasing in every way, and beneficial for us.

Who are those who "have been called according to his purpose"? We are - we have been invited and roused from our place of spiritual slumber, in order to have him move within our lives. As we respond to his movement, we begin to participate in the fullness of what provides - A holy life - a spiritually pure walk, with us being separated from our sin, and consecrated to a holy God (2 Tim. 1:9). A life of fellowship with God - living in complete partnership with him, enjoying intimate communion with him. It is only possible to be a partaker of all he provides when we begin to move into a place where we have things in common with God. As his holiness becomes a reality in our lives, we draw closer to him, learning to share in his graces more deeply. A life of freedom - purchased out of bondage never again to be sold into slavery to the things of our past. We are now the unique property of God and as such, we enjoy the freedom of release from past sin, present resentment, and future short-falls. A life of light - all moral and spiritual darkness fading, now able to receive and reflect the light we embrace. We become radiant reflections of his grace.

We are called according to his purpose - in conformity to his plans and intents. This calling is designed to bring us into conformity to the likeness of Christ. When we begin to embrace what it accomplished in his calling (invitation), we see the possibilities of living in harmony with the standards of a holy God and the miracle of his likeness being re-created in us. We are becoming a copy of him - his moral attributes coming into full agreement within us so that our character is deeply affected and changed. We are in a transition period in our lives - being transformed into his image - no longer conformed to the world. The transformation of mind, will, and emotion is a divine work - we participate in obedience to what he reveals - but it is still his work within us. Minds are readied, will is brought under control, and emotions move into divine hope by the alignment of our hearts with his.

We are in this to be conquerors. It is not enough to be called - we must be conformed. It is insufficient to simply conform - we must be conquerors in all things. Conquerors have gained the mastery over the old nature - no longer responding to it as master of their lives. How? Through the revelation that Christ now lives in us - where holiness dwells, we can be assured freedom abounds. In becoming a conqueror, we move to a place of being fully convinced of our standing in Christ. Belief moves from head knowledge into action (knowledge at work) - when we are persuaded fully of his love and his protection - we do not hesitate to move in obedient action. Just sayin!

Avoiding the Alleyway of Folly

There are tons of things that attempt to get my attention each and every day. The influences we have all around us on a daily basis attempt to tell us how to live our lives, promising us all kinds of enjoyment, fulfillment, and financial peace of mind. These influences vary from the voices of those deemed 'trusted' by others in society, to those we have deemed 'trusted' by us individually. While all of these sources of 'counsel' may be 'valid', not all of them will be as good as that counsel we receive at the hand of God. Listening to God is the only true means of finding the answers to things that are troubling us at the moment. Turning to some of the things or 'unreliable' ways we find 'counsel' in is much like us allowing shooting craps - we might beat the odds, then again we might not!

I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly.  (Psalm 85:8)

Sometimes we are not very aware of what it is that we are listening to - we just listen to whatever has the loudest or most compelling voice at the time. We are reminded that we need to examine who and what we are listening to. We are responsible for what we hear and how we respond to what we hear. If we listen and heed the voice of the world's counsel, we are listening to the wrong voice, and our path will reflect that 'unproven' and 'unwise' counsel. The world's voice works in the realm of our logic - appealing to our own ability to reason things out when we feel we have enough information to make an 'informed decision'. The voice of God is focused on good and perfect things that sometimes seem to be illogical in the scheme of things, but what may appear to be illogical may actually be the most logical choice.

Whenever we don't listen to the voice of God, we get out of step with him - we get out of the eternal plan of God. Yes, we are working on the here and now, but all our actions today are leading us toward the bigger picture of eternity. God often speaks to us, imparting his wisdom in our very normal activities - just the regular stuff of life. God's Word has power for those who listen and receive that Word. Our flesh works against the Word a great deal of the time - suppressing the truth contained there so that it will not have the full impact on us. God has always wanted a separated people - a listening and intentional people. When we think of being a separated people, the ultimate goal is that we would listen only to his voice, coming to a place where sin is just not tolerated in our lives, and knowing when a certain path of choice will lead us down alleyways of folly. Listening involves both the physical instrument of hearing (the ear) and the spiritual instrument (the heart). God wants us to listen with both. 

God desires a people that will cry out to him in times of despair, exalt him in times of increase, and share the regular stuff of life with him in the status quo. It might go without saying, but we have to share to be heard - we have to listen to hear. When we listen, we find that God has something to say. His Spirit is still alive - making us what we cannot be on our own. If we listen, we tap into that power, authority, and wisdom that comes only from the throne of a holy God. Ears to listen keep us from turning to folly - those costly and foolish undertakings that end up being an unwise investment of our time, talent, or resources. How much aggravation could we have saved ourselves if we had listened better? How much time have we spent "doing over" what we could have done right the first time if we'd just taken time to gain God's perspective first? God is pointing us in that direction - listen first, act second.

We would do well to examine both who it is that we are listening to and how it is that we are applying ourselves to listening. Listening to the right source (God is the only reliable source) is equally as important at listening with intent (being obedient to what it is we hear). The alleyways of folly will always beckon to us, but there is no shortcut to obedience - no quick way to some of the things that only come with consistent and focused effort. Just sayin!

The final frontier

Do you remember the saying, "Space, the final frontier", from the Star Trek opening voice over? The 'final frontier' can be defined as a lot of things, but it is most important that we define righteousness as our final 'frontier', and not sin! Our final destination is to be Christ - the frontier we discover is quite a change from the frontier we had been exploring prior to Christ! We arrive in style at our final destination in Christ – decked out in an adult faith wardrobe. In direct relationship with God, we are “more than washed up” for a fresh start, that thing we call righteousness. We are completely transformed - the absolute outcome of being made righteous. There is an exchange of character – although we may not immediately see the evidence of it in our daily lives, it has already been accomplished. Through our daily pursuit of his presence being cultivated in our lives, we come to recognize the change is already accomplished - it just may not be totally manifest in all our behaviors yet. 

But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe – Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise. (Galatians 3:25-27)
Our position in Christ is described as being in direct relationship with God - having no compromising or impairing element that would keep us apart from a holy God. Close logical relationship because of the accomplished work of Christ in our lives – with no intervening agency needed. In other words, the “rules” of the law were made void. We need to really grab hold of the implications of this 'position change'. As long as the heir is a minor, he has no advantage over the slave. Though legally he owns the entire inheritance, he is subject to tutors and administrators until whatever date the father has set for emancipation. That is the way it is with us: When we were minors, we were just like slaves ordered around by simple instructions (the tutors and administrators of this world), with no say in the conduct of our lives. (Galatians 4:1-3) A tutor is charged with the guidance and instruction of another. He has guardianship over that person – he’s responsible for the direct care of that individual. It is important for us to recognize that as we go through life each and every day, we WILL be tutored by someone or something. We can choose to be tutored by the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit, or we can embrace the tutelage of a rough and cruel world. 

We are never free from influencing factors that affect our choices. Those influencing factors affect our focus and ultimately, they challenge the integrity of our inner man (creating or filling the cracks or flaws in our inner man). Truly, those influences determine which "frontier" we actually explore. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? (Galatians 4:5-7) You can tell for sure that you are fully adopted into the family of God – not just “sort of” in the family, but fully embraced as a member of the family with full rights to the inheritance of our Father. By the privilege of intimate conversation, we can be assured of our new standing in Christ. We have complete access, complete freedom, and complete transparency with a holy God – not just a system of works that appeases our conscience.

Those heretical teachers go to great lengths to flatter you, but their motives are rotten. They want to shut you out of the free world of God’s grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important. (Galatians 4:17) All the world offers is a system of approval that is fleeting at best - a "frontier" based upon how well we perform. The next time that someone beats our time, improves upon our design, exceeds our profits, or any similar 'grand accomplishment', we are no longer standing as “approved” by the world's standards - we have 'fallen behind' or 'fallen short'. It amazes me how easily we follow worldly, self-seeking leaders - seeking their approval and direction, only to be disappointed in the end. We have been provided only one 'worthy' tutor – the Holy Spirit. To turn to man for our approval or direction is to exclude God from his role in our lives. The question I pose today is simple: What is your tutor teaching? As you make daily decisions and face daily challenges, you will do well to subject the teaching you are about to embrace to the Word of God, the wise counsel of other mature believers, and the checks and balances of your own God-given conscience. Anytime we try to do by our own effort what was fully accomplished by grace, we place ourselves in a position of bondage to the rules. God wants us to know that we can be free of this bondage. Our trust in a finished work of Christ in us brings clarity of vision, centering of purpose, and deep, intimate fellowship with our God. Truly, it is as though we have stepped from one 'frontier' into another! Just steppin!

Antidote, please!

The fears we face in life - those things that we internalize and focus on that paralyze us and keep us from growing as we should in Christ - these are the things Christ wants us to stop internalizing. In other words, we need to learn to "let it go" a little better and then stop taking it back once we do! There are several differences between love and fear.  We know perfect love casts out all fear - remember that perfect love describes God's character exactly - where he resides, there is absolutely no reason for fear.  When we allow Christ to come into our lives, God's perfect love becomes the guiding influence - fear doesn't have to control us any longer.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (I John 4:17-18)

There are several things we should understand about the very real and tormenting emotion of fear. Fear keeps us looking at the consequences of all the action in our lives - in other words, we cannot step out because we become so consumed in the possibility that the consequences will be "bad" or "less than good". So, we just freeze, focusing on the circumstances, and failing to take any steps forward. Fear can also paralyze us because we are afraid of punishment. It is probably because there have been times within our relationships on this earth when we may have stepped out in faith to do what we thought the other person wanted us to do, failed in that experience, and then experienced some type of punishment as a result. The relationship was broken, or at least there was some type of negative outcome. That makes us a little "gun-shy" when it comes to stepping out again.  

When someone is consumed with fear, they usually have their focus more on tomorrow - what will come in the future. If that is our focus, we miss out on today's opportunities. Fear can put us in a place where we hold back, or pull back when the pressures mount. We just don't want to get 'sucked in' wherever we might not be ready to make that investment. Fear can be a tool we use to get our own way in life - we want to have a certain outcome, so we use fear as a tool to craft that outcome. We use it to gain the sympathies of another, or even to simply get the attention of others - portraying an image of one who cannot take that step alone, or even at all, so the other person 'has' to help us out.  

Love is the antidote to fear. The most important thing we need to grasp about love is that it is an opportunity seeker. Love looks outside of self and sees the opportunities that exist all around us. One who wants to move in love is "today-focused" - there is nothing more satisfying or rewarding that exhibiting love and seeing someone blessed today. To be focused on the love of God within us gives us the ability to move beyond the selfishness of needing the world to gravitate around us all the time. The focus we have moves to others rather than self. There is a move from being self-seeking to being able to give of oneself 'without measure' to others. The more that a person allows the love of God to develop within, the more fear will be displaced. Fear and love cannot abide together. Our love grows in those moments of frequent fellowship with the Lord.  

David shared an experience in Psalm 118 when he felt like he was being "pushed to the wall". Here's what he said:  Pushed to the wall, I called to God; from the wide open spaces, he answered.  God's now at my side and I'm not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me? (vs. 5-6)  Lots of experiences in life have the capacity of making us feel "pushed to the wall", but only one thing can make us feel this secure - the love of God. Remembering that the love of God is really a person (Jesus), then it stands to reason that the more of Jesus we come to enjoy in our lives, the more love takes up residence. Where love resides, fear has no place to exist. It is like robbing fear of its very breath. 

We make the choice to exist in love or fear.  It is a daily, moment-by-moment choice. We embrace God in the circumstance, or allow the fear to envelop us and push us to the wall. Perfect love casts out ALL fear - no fear is justified, no fear is too great. The enemy to perfect love is fear. The antidote to fear is perfect love. Just sayin!

Frozen in place

Have you ever watched a javelina - a hog well-adapted for the Sonoran Desert region? Catch them wandering into your yard for a quick feast on your flora or fauna and you will be surprised by how quickly they just 'freeze' in place. In the desert, their brown color makes them blend in as though they were a rock just standing there. In the greenery of your grassy yard, that just looks dumb! They freeze because they are hoping to avoid their predators - they want to survive! Fear can be a pretty disabling thing in the life of animals, but in the life of a human being, it can cripple. Whenever fear is allowed to be the controlling influence, we become dead in the water. Fear is defined as a distressing emotion - fueled by impending danger, evil or pain - whether the threat is real or imagined. There are times that our fears are ill-founded - more "made up" than real - but we treat them as real, just at the javelina might do when being caught in the yard by someone who is unarmed and with no ill-intent in mind.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.
(I John 4:7-18)

God's intention is that we will bring our emotions into alignment with what the Word reveals - giving us limitations in where our mind will take us and structure as to how our responses should come. The passage above speaks of the love of God - in fact, it speaks of the fact that God is love. Moving from eternal death (being unsaved) into eternal life (accepting the work of the Cross in our life) takes us into a place of being "in a life of love". This is because God now lives in us - he is love, therefore, love is resident in us. As his love matures in us, we begin to allow the worries we have held onto so tightly to diminish in their hold over us. The one thing outlined for us in this passage is that we need no longer fear the judgment of God - we stand before God absolutely identical to Christ. Why is that? Because when God looks at Christ, he sees us - and when he sees us, he sees Christ. When we look at Christ, we see God. As long as Christ is the center of our focus, we are in a solid place.

We are told to NOT fear - don't fear man and what he may to do us (Proverbs 29:25); the fear of persecution is not to be part of our lives (Galations 2:12); and the fear of death is just not a valid fear any longer (Hebrews 2:14-15) - to name a few "fear nots" in the scripture. God spends a great deal of time telling us about the things we DON'T need to fear when we are "in him" and he is "in us". As a matter of fact, Proverbs tells us that the nightmares of the wicked come true; what the good people desire, they get. The wicked fear what will overtake them - it eats at them, consuming valuable energy, and taking their attention under control. God's people don't need to have that "gnawing" fear that consumes.

Fear has a purpose - it should drive us to the solution for our fear - God himself. He casts out all fear, because he is perfect love - simply put, perfect love is the antidote to fear. As we place ourselves into the hands of a loving God, we are allowing the safety and shelter of his love to become the influencing force in our life - affecting our thoughts, attitudes, emotions. Psalm 27 tells us that the Lord is our light and our salvation and goes on to ask, "Whom then shall I fear?" If God gives all the light that we need for the situation we face - there is no fear of the course we are traveling. If God is our salvation - the delivering force - there is no fear of the end result. That same passage in Psalms goes on to remind us that the Lord is the stronghold of our life - of whom then shall we be afraid? David went on to say, "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident!" What a tremendous sense of peace he had - all because he was rightly aligned with his Lord. That is the antidote to fear - right alignment. So, the next time fear raises all manner of ugliness in your life - look at your alignment (your focus). Is it on God or the situation? Is it on his love or the perceived threat at hand?

Psalm 34:4 says, "I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from ALL my fears." The antidote to fear is to seek God - the time to seek is when fear is entering - counteracting it before it gets a foothold. God is our stronghold, an anchor. He is our deliverer. He is also the very thing that washes away all fear (the antidote) - he is perfect love. Step into his love and see what fears he will chase away today. Just trustin!

Never to be seen again

Battles come our way - not those fought on enemy soil with automatic weapons, tanks, and grenades, complete with every 'military tactic' operational - but those things that give us "fits" internally (emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes even physically).  We struggle with the outcome because we try to remain in control of the situation instead of turning it over to God.  The battle becomes a burden we "slug" through rather than having the unlimited resources of heaven at our disposal. It is time to stopping being 'slugs' when it comes to these battles - they need a quicker end than we are capable of in our own efforts!

Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again.  God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!" (Exodus 14:13-14)

Moses was given a direct message from God to tell the people - the battle lies ahead and here's what you should do in the midst of the battle!  Most of us don't get some "authoritative" messenger of God sent into our lives after having had such a dynamic conversation with God himself, armed with the message to stand firm in the midst of the fight.  At least, not one that we recognize as a messenger!  The message God gives him to bring to the people tell us a great deal about how it is we are to face the battle. Let's look:

• Don't be afraid - the idea is that we are not to be filled with fear or apprehension.  Our concept of the situation (perception) produces either fear or trust. Another word for these perceptions is suspicions - we develop various suspicions about the reason for the battle, the outcome, and even the enemy we are battling. Anticipation and awareness of danger both produce fear and anxiety. Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. (Phil. 4:6) There is a time in the battle when we have to "reign it all in" and lay it all out before God. In so doing, we begin to be in a place to see clearly what it is that is before us. Our suspicions are addressed, not with our ideas, but with God's accurate perception.
• Stand firm - maintain your position, hold your course, and remain firm. To maintain your position is to hold the position of a witness - be alert, be attentive, be accurate. Weakness and uncertainty do not play a part in being a witness in the courtroom of life. The witness is to give a testimony that is free of revision or change. God is asking us to be well-founded in our beliefs and values. Steadfastness is really what is pictured here - accurately perceiving the circumstances and then able to navigate them.
• Watch for the deliverance - it is inevitable when the battle is in his hands. We may lose the battle in our own ability, but in his hands, the deliverance is sure to come. When we actually see something, we are recognizing it and placing that into actual experience. In other words, stand firm, without fear, and God will be on the scene to bring the deliverance (making it a reality). Deliverance is liberty - it is rescue, or being set free. The promised, desired, and expected results will be -produced - when we stand firm, with our fear under his control.
• You will never see that enemy again - Moses was speaking to Israel about the Egyptians. They were an enemy that could have slaughtered them, bringing an end to their existence. Yet, he says with total assurance, that they would never see them again. What is pictured is the idea of total deliverance from the bondage of a task-master that is demanding, unyielding, and controlling. Kind of like the image we have of sin's control in our lives, huh? God is the one that will cause it to become a reality that we move from a place of total bondage into total freedom - never to be under that condition of bondage again.  
• Keep your mouth shut - this is not easy in the midst of the battle. Instead of being still, at peace, and in control of our emotions, we are a miserable wreck! It is not easy being in a place where we stand with an assurance when the end of our bondage seems to be impossible, and then to stand settled, calm and in a place of peace. Yet it is the very thing that God expects of us in the midst of the battle. When trust is placed in the right (true and accurate) place, the battle is assured.

To that, I can only add some words from David: Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:10-11) See the emphatic statement here: I WILL BE EXALTED! God is not a mamby-pamby kind of God - he is supreme, sovereign over any other force on this earth, in your life, or in mine. He WILL be exalted - stand firm, be assured, and be still. He is in control! Just sayin!

Get fixed!

David spends a good deal of time in the Psalms addressing his enemies, those he considers to be his close friends, and even himself.  He is proclaiming his position in God - impregnable, immovable, solid.  When one finds that they are mobile - they are capable of being moved - changeable in mood, appearance, or purpose. When one is immobile - there is a fixed position in mind - incapable of being moved or not moving at all. The 'position' we find ourselves in at this moment, and even the next, will determine how well we are either moving according to plan, or immovable by the plans of those intent on changing God's plans for our lives!

God, the one and only— I'll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not? He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, an impregnable castle: I'm set for life. (Psalm 62:1-2 MSG)

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2 NIV)

David was surrounded by enemies - the battle was totally ON for him.  Though surrounded on all sides, he declares that he is fixed on God and will not be moved as a result.  Sometimes the afflictions in our lives become so much like huge weights that serve the purpose of pulling us down, getting us bogged down and kind of immovable.  When we see them through the eyes of Jesus, we realize that they are meant to help us dig deeper into Christ, not to crush us or bury us alive in the mire of the pit - they are meant to help us keep moving, not to bog us down.

When affliction comes, we have many responses - one of the most common being that of fear.  Fear is an open door for Satan, the adversary of our soul and spirit, to enter.  Fear demonstrates a lack of confidence in our source of inner stability - we are admitting that we have the capacity of being moved or shaken. If we are grounded in Christ, why does fear enter in at all?  It comes because we have some forces at work in our life that want to make us believe that what we believe in, who we believe in, and the very foundation that provides in our lives is somehow faulty or unreliable.

Satan is constantly working to move upon our lives in an attempt to get us to DO wrong - he wants us saying wrong things, thinking wrong thoughts, demonstrating wrong actions.  He knows that if he can do this, he takes us out of step with God.  He places us on ground that is less secure and our movement in a forward direction is impaired.  If he gets us moving ahead of God's timing, or lagging behind when God is asking us to move forward, he gets us in a place where we are no longer on solid ground. Sin in our own lives affects our solid foundation - tempting us to move in ways that are not honoring to God. Whenever things like envy, anger, bitterness, revenge, lust or greed become the focus in our lives, we are on shaky ground.  These things pull us down faster than we realize.  We also have temptations that seek to destroy or damage our foothold that are more subtle, not always noticed for the effect they have. Things like wrong types of friendships, pressures to conform to a peer group's values, or the pressure mounted by the media to conform to the societal values of the time are also placing this undue pressure on us to question our position in Christ.

There are some key points in our passage that we need to latch onto in order to avoid the pitfalls that make us movable, less "fixed" in our position in Christ.  First, our soul MUST find rest in God and no other source.  When there is rest, there is a purposeful cessation of activity - we stop trying to do what God has already done for us in the work of salvation.  Second, we must come to a place where we trust him at ALL times.  Trust is a total, unwavering reliance in his character, ability, and strength in our lives - we become dependent on him, not ourselves.  Third, we must pour out our heart and soul to him.  God desires intimate communion with his children - allowing all that is within (even our fears) to be expressed freely in his presence.  Last, but certainly not least, we must find God as our REFUGE.  He is the shelter we need - the escape and protection from danger we long for.  He should be our resort in times of difficulty, just as he is to be our enjoyment in times of great joy. Get FIXED on God.  Get FIXED in God.  Then let God get FIXED in you.  You will find great safety, strength, and assurance in that foothold. Who knows...maybe we will finally get "FIXED" from all that brokenness that we have been carrying for such a long time! Just sayin!

He did what?

In our Christian walk, there are moments when we wonder what is happening - to the best of our knowledge, we are living in obedience, making right decisions, doing exactly what God has asked us to do - then out of the blue, testing and trial seems to come our way. What is up with that - where did we go wrong? There are going to be time when, even in our 'best obedience', we are going to see testing come! The disciples were heading to the opposite shore one day in a boat there were pretty sure would take them safely to their destination - something the Lord had asked them to do - and in a moment of time, their circumstances change. In their obedience, their testing moment comes.

As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night. Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror. But Jesus was quick to comfort them. "Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid." (Matthew 14:22-27)

First things first - sometimes we trust in things that have proven trustworthy at other times, but at this moment, they may seem a little less than trustworthy. The boat they were in was not likely to help them out very much - it would fail them if that is all they placed their trust in. There are times we place so much trust in something in the natural that we don't really trust in God. When the waves of life come, we get pretty well tossed about! It is important for us to see that the "boats" of our own making - the things we have at our dispsal in the natural sense, or could do for ourselves to escape the storm - these are seldom the best things to rely upon.

The winds they were about to face would alter their course - if they were to give into them. It is not an uncommon thing for us to face winds of opposition in life. In fact, we almost always have "crosswinds" that want to "blow us off-course". All these winds seem to do is to is to make the journey a little harder - slowing down our progress, making it more difficult to reach the end of the storm, or reach our ultimate destination. The winds actually help us more than we think because that pressure of those waves of resistance drive us to move beyond the trust we could place in our own "rowing" to actually reach out to God's hand to bring us through instead.
The rowing that occurs when facing a contrary wind is futile if it is just us doing the rowing. All the strength we can muster is not enough - our good works will never get us deeper in Christ, nor will they produce the lasting peace we desperately are seeking. There is no lasting benefit in our own efforts - we need the touch of Jesus in our lives.

Out in the middle of the lake, storms all around, tired from the rowing, boat holding more water than you'd like to see? Don't despair! God is on the way. The timing of his arrival may be a little different than we'd like to see, but he is on the way. One thing is clear in this passage - God always comes in the hour of our greatest need! It is at the point that our strength is just about gone - our hope is silently fading away - this is when he comes! I guess I've never really had Jesus come to me "walking on water", but I'd have to say that he has come in ways I thought would be impossible, at times what I'd label as unimaginable. When Jesus came to them on the water, he was not in another boat. He was doing the extraordinary - the unexpected. His coming revealed his power over that which was giving them the most terror at the moment - the waves, the wind, and their worries.

Don't miss the subtle reminder in this passage - he doesn't rebuke the storm first, he settles their hearts instead! The cause of their worries, all their toiling through the night, the testing of their strength - all these concern him, but not all get his attention in that moment. He focuses on them first! Settling their hearts - bringing them rest in their spirit as his priority. The next time you are facing the winds of opposition in your steps of obedience - look where you least expect to find the Lord. It is likely he may come in the way we least expect his help! Just sayin!

Hot or cold?

Living in Arizona, even the temperature of our skin gets warm! No matter how warm it is outside, my mom is usually wearing a sweater inside (it is just one of those things that happens at about age 100). I will reach out to take her hand to help her up or to navigate to her next destination, only to hear, "My...your hands are so warm!" Touch is a tactile sense - it is something 'felt' through the experience of what comes into contact with one's body. God's touch may not be 'physical' in that his hands makes contact with ours, but we can somehow 'sense' the touch of God in our lives just about as well as we can experience the physical touch of a loved one reaching out to take our hand. What God does 'in' us through his touch is almost as palpable as what he does all around us.

Unless a person submits to this original creation—the 'wind-hovering-over-the-water' creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit. (John 3:4-6)

A touch is the means by which we perceive - we know dimension, experience consistency, and interpret the temperature of something. Through a touch, we feel with the intention of understanding or appreciating that which we are in contact with. Much is conveyed in a touch - Jesus reminds us that unless we submit to the touch of God on our lives, we are not able to enter into the Kingdom of God. The invisible spirit of man - that which only God can touch within us - must be touched by the hand of the Almighty God. There is just no other touch that can equate to his.

It is important for us to keep in mind that God's touch is not a one time event in our lives - his hand passes over us time and time again - in order that we might get a sensation of one who is touching us. It is the desire of God to impart his holiness, joy, peace, power - all that he is - through his touch. As a blind man might lightly touch the face of another - tracing the outline of those features in order to determine their identity - God touches us. He looks for the identity of Christ to be replicated in us. Where he discovers that identity in us, he takes delight - he recognizes him and it excites him when he finds more of his Son in us each time he makes contact.

It is that touch that gives us both the awareness of who we are in contact with and the ability to sense his character. Yet, much more is conveyed in the touch of God on our spirit. God brings assurance through his touch - a sense of safety, a sense of being sure or certain - a sense of stability. His touch becomes the strength we need for the tasks at hand. At times, it is the very consolation we need when trouble or worry is at hand. His touch also serves to help us identify what is ahead for us. Just as a blind man might grope around in the darkness of his condition, we grope around, reaching out to identify where we are in life and what we have to navigate through. God is right there, revealing the obstacles that lay in our path, so that we might steer clear of them. In turn, his touch aids us each and every time to find our way through some pretty challenging or frightful stuff.

Nothing affects our spirit more than the touch of a holy God. His touch gets our attention - focusing us anew like nothing else can. Through his touch, we are brought to a place of alertness - heightened in our interest and coming out of our slumber. That very touch brings us to a place of readiness - much like the tap on a shoulder might alert one nearby that their attention is needed. We often miss what is right in front of us - simply because our attention has drifted toward something else. His touch helps us to take notice and to turn the powers of perception toward that which we need so desperately to comprehend.

Nothing pleases God more than to see a stirring in response to his touch. His awakening touch is meant to arouse us - to make us active again where we have allowed inactivity to lull us into complacency. His touch, just like that of a friend who gently shakes you from slumber, is able to disturb the quiet of the moment just enough to bring us to a change in our position. When God stirs us with his touch, it is to bring about a change in position - to arouse us to activity. We must never grow weary with being touched by God - his touch moves us and directs us so that we will make progress toward the goal he has for our lives. It is his touch that helps us keep a steady pace - making forward progress spiritually. It is through a touch that we budge from our fixed, stubborn position of "safety" and "security" - what we call that place of complacency. The next time God moves across your life, stirring your emotions, bringing your feelings to attention - respond to him with the passion of your heart. His touch - sensing the temperature of our lives - determines if we are hot or cold, alive or dead, in a state of rigor or pliable in his hands. There is the promise of much joy and satisfaction conveyed in his touch. Have you been touched by God today? Just askin!

Dig in

There are times when we slip back into our old way of operating in life even after revelation has come - when God has showed us what could even be an exact opposite way of operating, but where we choose to do it our own way instead. This is usually because we do not apply ourselves to what has been revealed to us. We "void" the revelation by not trusting in it, not being obedient to it, or simply just not fully receiving it in the first place. A revealed truth is great, but it is really not valuable until we use the truth which has been revealed. For example, I can receive the revelation that clipping coupons can save you thousands of dollars each year at the grocery store, but until I begin clipping and redeeming these coupons, the truth isn't really something I allow to impact my life. The truth about coupon clipping is still very real - the influence it has on my life is just not there yet. Truth has to be used to be of value to us.

God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

God never really asks much of us when it comes to revealing himself to us. He simply ask for us to be willing to change - maybe the hardest task for any of us to really embrace. This encompasses the idea of being willing to present ourselves to him, allowing him to point out where change is needed, and then allowing him to ignite that change within. Along the way, he gives us all we need to accomplish that change - we simply need to remain in the place of obedience - of openness to using the truth he is revealing. Something happens when we present ourselves to God - in total commitment. We are placing our "self-made" or "self-directed" life on the altar and then we back away from the altar. Too many times, we stick around the altar hoping to rescue some part of "self" back - like rescuing a photo from a fire. God only affects what we give him complete access to - if we give him total access, he will accomplish the purpose of the altar - the picture will take on a new form.

The outcome of the altar is determined by whose hands are handling the sacrifice - if our hands are all over the sacrifice, never allowing God's hands to take control, the evidence of the altar will be limited to our abilities. If God's hands are on the sacrifice of that self-life - we can depend on never being the same again - the picture of our life begins to steadily change until the former life is really not seen any longer. Life in our own hands is a series of disasters, at best. Life in the hands of God is victory, glory, and a thing of honor. Some of us depend on "good philosophy" more than we depend on the Word of God - especially as it applies to placing ourselves on the altar. Generally, a philosophy is the sum total of what you know - what is important to you. We can go through life depending on the philosophy of life we have developed. This will always leave us short of a full revelation of truth - we have only trusted in some facts that are part of the truth revealed, but we don't embrace all the facts we need to make trustworthy decisions with our lives.

Truth must be revealed - but it must also be applied if it is to affect any change in our lives. If we are faithful to apply the revelation of truth that God gives to us, we will find God rewarding that loyalty time and time again. Sometimes we make the revelation of God's truth so complicated - thinking it could not be simple, easily understood, or practical at all. Despite our opinion of the revelation of God's truth, it is usually quite practical - God does not thrive on complicating our lives! One closing thought - revelation without application of what is revealed is meaningless. Christianity is not for the weak-willed. It takes some work on our part (paying attention, listening obediently, responding faithfully). God is on the lookout for the one who is committed to him in this way. In turn, he has a greater revelation of himself than we ever imagined. Dig in and see what God has for you at the altar today. Just diggin!

Be a life-flow

We church-goers hear the phrase, "Be a doer of the Word." Do we really understand what this statement means? Putting the Word of God into action in our lives is really more demanding than we often imagine - sometimes it is one of the most daunting tasks we can undertake. Learning the Word of God is one thing, actually doing what it says is quite another. Most of us do a very adequate job at 'learning' the Word of God, but I'd be the first to admit - the 'doing' of it is sometimes a little lacking!

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

Here we find a reminder about the God we serve - the one who is unchangeable in his promises, righteous inside and out - the God of divine compassion who places man under a moral obligation to be righteous - to learn to do what it is we have come to learn. So, how do we get to the place that God looks at us as righteous? It begins with our belief in the finished work of the Cross of Christ - the blood shed as a substitution - a sacrifice for us, making atonement for our sins, certainly not his. Over the course of the rest of our lives, we move from the place of being "saved" into a continual walk of having that righteousness that was imputed (credited) to us at the point of salvation worked out in our daily choices.

Imputed really means to be counted as bringing our account into full payment - in other words, no debt is owing for our sins any longer as that debt was completely paid in full by Christ. God reminds us of some interesting things about how this daily walk progresses. First, he tells us to love the Lord our God with all our hearts. This type of love is a devotion that is based on a kinship experience - there are strong personal ties to the one we are loving. God brings us from a place of alienation into a place of closeness - in turn, we are adopted into his family, experiencing all the privileges of "kin". We are to cherish God - experiencing a repeatedly expanding desire for him.

We are to love him with our whole heart - our whole personality, including our intellect and emotions. We need to stop here and remember that love is more than a state of mind - there is a ton of emotional investment behind it. It may begin with emotion, get stalled a while until the mind catches up, then the mind gets reignited again with fresh emotion. The important thing is that it is growing and that it involves our whole being - every part of our character, feelings, inclinations involved in the pursuit of God. To the heart, he adds that we are to love him with our entire soul - "entire" means "all". The soul is that which we think of as animating us - it makes us different from every other creature roaming this earth. It is our moral and emotional nature - that which gives us that sense of conscience. Love that is animated is indeed evident to all who look upon it. There is an evidence of that love manifest deep within our soul.

If that is not enough, God asks us to love him with all our strength - with our total capacity. Nothing held back! There is to be an honest intensity, a potency, and a power in our daily walk with God. When we go through "dry seasons" it usually means this is missing from our walk and we wonder if we are really still "connected" with our God. We feel "dry" - vitality is missing in our spiritual walk. The reason God asks for us to give our total capacity is that he wants us to be filled to (and even over) capacity - with his love, grace, peace, truth, etc. When we hold nothing back, he is free to hold nothing back in filling us with these good things - allowing them to overflow so others get a sense of his goodness, as well. The instruction goes on to say that we are to impress them upon our lives, tie them to ourselves, bind them so they cannot be broken, and write them down so we remember them well. God wants his Word to be in constant contact with our innermost character, affecting every inclination we have. His words gives support to every choice we make. 

The Word is designed to influence us, but it is also meant to transfer or transmit to us that which will mark us as Christ's. When we tie the Word to our hands, we are using the Word as a restraining power, or an influence, that affects everything we set our hands to do. The Word is a symbol (a visible sign) that is manifest through the hands. Binding the Word to our foreheads can be likened to causing our thoughts to be confined to, restrained or restricted to that which is honoring, worthy, and holy. This will make our minds firm and settled - experiencing peace in our thought life. The Word of God is to be written ALL OVER our lives - in our speech, our actions, every impulse we respond to. It affects our entire being, directing our entire course of action. In turn, we become a channel for the life flow of God. This is what it means to be a "doer" - become a life-flow of God's grace today! Just sayin!

Power to really do better

When a new power comes into play, the game changes a little bit, doesn't it? The new power exerts some influence that is 'new' to the circumstances. In baseball, they change up the pitcher in hopes the 'new power' will deliver a no hitter run of pitches. In technology, the introduction of panoramic WiFi added a more advanced web-surfing power to the game. Well, there is a new power in operation in our lives. This new power gives us a whole group of new principles by which to pattern our lives. In fact, it gives us a new potency for life - efficient, forceful, influential progress AGAINST sin in our lives. The rules we have been trying to live by could never do this for us. Our human condition requires a radical change. This type of radical change could only be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit within us - the 'force' to begin anew.

A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

Rules can only cover over our selfishness like a bandage covers over a wound - the wound still exists under that bandage and if you rip it off, the wound oftentimes just reopens, giving us new pain to deal with. Keeping a set of rules merely makes us "look good" on the outside, but the desires to do stuff that feeds our selfish desires still exists deep inside. We call this our sin nature. The Spirit of God does not "mask over" our sinful nature. He encounters it, exposes it, and exchanges it - setting us in order from the inside out. The key to growth is to embrace what the Spirit is doing. What we frequently do is to simply "redouble" our efforts to "be good" or "live right", instead of embracing what the Spirit is doing within. 

Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored. (Romans 8:5-8)

As long as our focus is inward, self-centered, we have absolutely no new resources by which life-long struggles can be overcome. As soon as we turn our focus upward, toward God, the resources we need for living an "exchanged life" are limitless. Focus determines outcome. It drives us when it is right, and it diminishes our passion and pursuit when it isn't. Focus is the position in which something is placed in order to have clarity in what is perceived. Until we take the focus off of self, our perception is clouded by every failure, every desire, and every attitude that we have formed because of faulty life experiences.

We often cannot see beyond the immediate, but until we look fully into the eyes of the one who holds the future, we cannot fully comprehend the value of the present circumstances either. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives - getting us to "focus" correctly. The value of the immediate is defined by our vision of the future state. We are defined by our identity in Christ - we don't appear to be entirely Christ-like today, but our immediate condition is being shaped by the promise that we will be entirely Christ-like in the future.

We are NEW today in Christ - our full exchange of character and the subsequent changes in practice will change in proportion to our willingness to keep our focus steady on him rather than the circumstances. Becoming Christ-like is more than holding a sentiment in our hearts - it is something that has to be worked out in every fiber of our being. As we partner with the Holy Spirit, we find this possible. Embrace him, allow him to expose your struggles, and then let him show you how to live a totally exchanged life. Just sayin!

Steady the course and full-speed ahead

The heart and mind are intimately connected, which doesn't really account for us doing dumb stuff, because we should be thinking about what we respond to with our full heart if we recognize this connection exists.  Whatever we think on long enough will impact the course of our heart – affecting our emotion deeply and influencing our choices.  God knew this in calling us – and in that call, he planned for our ultimate “drift” in course - knowing full well that we are people who struggle with remaining steadfast.  He provided for a way of escape – a reordering or redirecting of our course. There are a whole lot of 'if' statements in the Bible - 'if' is conditional - meet one condition and the next will be met. "Think on these things" is a condition - 'if' we do, then our emotions are less easily swayed onto the wrong path.

No matter how far away you end up, GOD, your God, will get you out of there and bring you back…GOD, your God will cut away the thick calluses on your heart and your children’s hearts, freeing you to love GOD, your God, with your whole heart and soul and live; really live.  And you will make a new start, listening obediently to GOD, keeping all his commandments…GOD, your God will outdo himself in making things go well for you…Yes, GOD will start enjoying you again…The word is right here and now – as near the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest.  Just do it!  And I command you today: Love GOD, your God.  Walk in his ways.  Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by GOD, your God...

(Deut. 30: 6, 8-9, 14, 16)

If we will again take his commandments seriously - there is restoration at hand. Play around with those commandments, tweaking them to fit our whim or fancy, and we will drift further and further off course. When we have drifted from 'center', it is a change of focus that God requires – and in the change of focus, there is a change in control.  When we take our eyes off Jesus, we place our eyes somewhere else - on self, on another person that we think may fulfill our desires, etc.  God's goal in "refocusing" us is to see us return Christ to that center-point in our lives.  When we move from being influenced by all that comes across our path, to being purposefully directed by that which gives us a sense of purposeful direction, we begin to see the mind and emotions more balanced.  The influence of the Word is like the influence of the rudder of a ship – it gives clear, purposeful direction, staying the course for our lives, influencing the passion of our heart, and righting the thinking of our minds.  In “righting our course”, we embrace anew the influence of the Word to direct our course, and in turn, God embraces us in the winds of his Spirit, speeding our return to him.  

God seeks us out with the purpose of restoring us – he never counts on our own efforts or ability to bring us close to him again.  Here this: God delights in being good to his children - even when his children have not trusted fully in his goodness.  It is his extreme pleasure to provide for us – grace, love, compassion, and peace – every blessing in full abundance, not skimping in any way.  He seeks – searching in such a way so as to acquire again our hearts, our attention, and our center of control. His seeking is purposeful – our drifting is not.  His restoration is orchestrated – our movement away from him, on the other hand, is chaotic, confused, and a matter of chance.  The first step toward restoration is to “turn again”.  This suggests a change in our direction that is purposeful or a matter of determined choice.  It is a change in our course and a change in our posture.  We turn away from the pursuits that gratify our selfish ambitions and turn again to the safety of the things God designs for our well-being.  We shift in our posture – moving from bent down low in subjection to things that weigh us down and keep us burdened – to a posture of praise, adoration and uplifted head.  God’s promise to those who return – he will outdo himself in making things go well for us!

God’s call is to return – to come back to our proper position.  The condition of returning is orchestrated in our obedience to his Word.  Obedience opens us to his leading - to hearing from him and then being able to respond as requested.  The first step in discovering the course God has for us is wholehearted obedience to his currently revealed will - not waiting for the full revealing of his will before we take the first step.  The revelation of God’s will come in stages – just as stages of growth occur in us naturally.  As we are obedient to that which he asks of us today, he opens new truth to us tomorrow.  As we rightly redirect our course back to him today, he refines that course tomorrow.  Let us examine our “drift”, adjusting carefully our “heading”, that we might “stay our course” on that which truly brings us to the destination he has so graciously designed for our lives.  That destination is his presence – pure and holy, loving and gracious, restoring and renewing. Just sayin!