But it seems that...

How little do they see what really is, who frame their hasty judgment upon that which seems. (Daniel Webster)

I pray that he will use his glorious riches to make you strong. May his Holy Spirit give you his power deep down inside you. Then Christ will live in your hearts because you believe in him. And I pray that your love will have deep roots. I pray that it will have a strong foundation. (Ephesians 3:16-17)

If you looked upon my life on any given day, you might not always see the evidence of Christ coming through is some of my actions or words. Why is that? While I have a 'strong foundation' (Christ in me) and believe the 'right stuff' (the Word of God and the Holy Spirit's urging), I don't always make right choices. I speak before I think, step out before I seek direction, and sometimes just lazily approach life as though time didn't matter. If you just looked at the outward, you might form a wrong impression. If you knew the struggle going on inside me between my will and God's on occasion, you might ask why I am still struggling with some of the stuff that seems so simple to you. We are all at differing levels of growth or maturity. We may 'see' something, but not know what it is that is really occurring 'below the surface' inside one's mind, emotions, and soul. When it comes to forming any 'opinion' about another, we need to rely upon God to show us what is truly beneath the surface - not just form our hasty judgments by what 'seems' to be the case.

One of my most favorite quotes from Mr. Webster is the reminder that "the most important thought that ever occupied my mind is that of my individual responsibility to God." That is a bit of a deep one, but I like it because he reminds us of our responsibilities in this walk - it isn't to impress others - it is to please God. We can have all manner of outward appearances that seem to please what others think, while we are doing God a great injustice in our inner man. Webster also said that a strong conviction that something must be done is really the parent of many bad actions! It takes more than strong convictions to live obedient, growing, emotionally and spiritually healthy lives. It takes falling in love with Jesus over and over again. It can require us to leave certain things behind, take up other things, and refocus our lives more often than we might consider to be within our comfort level. This walk with Jesus is not for the wimpy - it requires some 'mustered strength' at times.

You and I may not know how much 'mustered strength' someone is actually working within on any given day, but if we are hasty to judge by the measure of strength we observe outwardly, we may just make irrational judgments. Christ is indeed at work inwardly, but it can take a while for the inward work to get to the outside sometimes! Evidence of that strength may not come through until the work is a little more 'final'. Remembering that roots grow in a periodic and slow manner may actually help us to not be too quick to judge another by what 'seems' to be the evidence of growth in one's life. Just sayin!

Let him free

Many people live by some unwritten code that implies rules are for breaking, not for keeping - do you know any of them? There is just some inward "pull" to break a few rules once in a while, or perhaps all of the time. While I am not a 'rule-breaker' all of the time, I definitely do my share of pushing the limits of the rules and/or breaking them all of the time. Yesterday we began to look at the sensibility of "following the rules" God sets out for us. His first "rule" was very clearly stated: No other god but me. His second is almost along the same line, but with a little different "twist":

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea." (Exodus 20:4)

No other god but me focused on any affection or attention we directed toward another person or pursuit which clearly took our affection and attention off God himself. Today's "rule" deals with trying to pigeon-hole God into a box which fits our "image" of what he should be like, behave like, or 'become' in our opinion of how he should function. God warned the nation of Israel through Moses against creating some "graven image" - carved sculpture or the like - which we'd be inclined to look upon and form some attachment with. Why? Simply put - God does not "fit" man's limited (finite) image of who he is! He is all things to all people, all knowing, all places at all times, unlimited in power, and totally holy. Try "fitting" these characteristics into some "image" and you will find yourself frustrated by the limitations of your own mind to actually accomplish a credible image of him.

In a deeper sense, God really does not want us to "limit" him by what we envision him to be like. God's abilities are beyond our "reasoning" or "thinking" powers. His love is beyond our ability to comprehend the unfathomable depths of his grace. His desires toward us are outside of our limited emotionally-based affections. In other words, when we try to "understand" God by having him "fit" a particular image, we limit him in our lives. God knows the dangers of limiting him - so he directs us to avoid the creation of any image which pigeon-holes him into some limited impression of who he is or how he acts.

In times past, pigeons were kept in these little cabinets, stored away until they would be served up as delicacies. The purpose of keeping them in the "hole" was to fatten them up for the meal at hand. As cabinet making became an art, pigeon-holes were built into cabinetry and furnishings in order to neatly store away items. As we use the term today, we simply refer to the process of "putting away" something for a later use, or classifying it according to some function. I think this is what God may have in mind when he asks us not to "pigeon-hole" him! He is not some "delicacy" just to be fattened up and enjoyed only on certain occasions! He is not stored away until there is some later need for him. In fact, whenever we try to "classify" him in any particular manner, we are setting "boundaries" in our minds which only serve to create a limited perspective of his authority, power, and purpose in our lives.

Most of us probably understand that "graven images" of God are not something which honor God. Yet, I wonder if we really understand the "images" of God we have set up in our own minds? I believe we may have more "limiting images" of God than we first imagine. We might do very well to see just where we have been "pigeon-holing" God in our minds - limiting him in some way because we hold him up to the "candle" of some merely human characteristic or attribute - we try to make him fit into what we see or feel. God is not limited - we'd do well to let him live "unlimited" in our lives! Just sayin!

What do you see?

None of us really likes for anyone to compare what we have, or what we have done, with what another has or has done. What we have doesn't really matter, but try to tell that to some people. What we have done isn't all that important, but some amass credentials like they were something to be coveted. We don't really want anyone else assessing us, do we? There are times when an honest assessment of who we are and what we are doing is something we'd rather avoid. Facing the fact we might not be moving in the best direction at the moment is sort of intimidating, if not downright humbling! Yet, the beginning of any real change in our lives begins with the first step - the step we take to the mirror of God's Word!

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. (Galatians 6:4-5)

There is a natural progression from examining our "true identity", seeing clearly how we "fit" into the placement we have in this life, and how "committed" we are to fulfilling the mission to which we are called. Until we begin to understand the "truth" of our identity, we will either live way below our potential, or live with too high of an inflated impression of ourselves! Both are a problem! Scripture clearly defines our identity when we are without Christ - sinners (Romans 3:23). This pretty well discourages us from living with an inflated image of our self-worth when it comes right down to it. In fact, self-worth is really not worth much! Just as clearly, scripture defines who we are with Christ in our lives - redeemed, holy, and new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Sometimes we live far below our potential simply because we don't really understand what it entails to be a new creation in Christ!

When we are finally looking into the face of Jesus - seeing our identity in him - we begin to open up to the possibilities this newness of life produces. The "fruit" of our lives begins to change from decaying, worthless, or destructive activities, and we find ourselves moving toward activities which produce the evidence of the new creation we have become. As with any fruit, these changes in our character are produced through growth - dead trees don't produce good fruit. Fruit begins in our lives with a bud of faith - faith that making the right choices will produce what is promised. In time, the fruit we feed is what we develop! It isn't the 'high associations' we make in life, but rather being embraced with the love of God and his intense grace.

There is a great deal that goes into "sinking ourselves into the work we have been given". When we begin to take responsibility for the image we allow ourselves to behold (the image of Christ vs. our own self-image of importance), we begin to find our true "fit" in life. It is in the discovery of what God has declared "true" about us that we begin to walk free of the bondage of our past. We behold many a false image of ourselves throughout our lives - what others declare about us, what we tell ourselves about our insignificance, who we believe society wants us to be, or what books tell us we need to become in order to have 'arrived' in life. Isn't it time we begin to take a fresh look into the mirror of God's face?

It is in the eyes of Jesus we behold the perfection he declares over our lives. The depth of his love expressed in those eyes of grace speak more truth about us than any other image we could behold. When we finally see ourselves as he does, we have no problems with being "on mission" with Jesus! In fact, we actually begin to get excited about the possibilities Christ produces by his presence in us! So, look deeply into his eyes of grace, my friends! He declares you lovely, perfect, and whole! Now, begin to reflect THAT image to the world today! Just sayin!

The right image

Did you ever dream of being someone else? You observe a famous sport's star performing so well in his sport and you begin to imagine all the glory and grandeur he enjoys. You see one of those shows on TV where what is depicted is some lifestyle of opulence and magnificence. You note the admiration a particular teacher receives from her students and you imagine being so well-liked someday by all those who you will touch in your profession. We all 'admire' another from time to time, or consider 'what it would be like' to live in their shoes. Did you ever stop to consider what it is like (truly like) to be the President of the United States, a U.S. Senator, or Prime Minister of a great nation? Imagine being the Son of God, come to earth, leaving behind your divinity, knowing that your entire purpose for being there was to endure the ridicule of people and the ultimate end of death on a cross. Not exactly the same image is created, is it? You might not want to walk in his sandals as much as you may want to walk in the shoes of the sports star or admired teacher!

If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! (Romans 8:31-32)

The rest of the passage that follows these two verses ends with a statement of fact: I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. Nothing and nobody - nothing in heaven, nor in hell - can remove us from the love of God! Whenever we begin to allow thoughts to enter into our mind that we can lose our relationship with Christ, we are really not considering the context of these verses. When we are doing this "questioning" of our salvation we begin to doubt OURSELVES - our worth as we are. No act of salvation is based on anything good in ourselves, any good deed our "self" can perform, so why do we allow the doubts we have about ourselves to be those that we focus upon? We are accepted exactly as we are - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

God has declared us worthy of his love. That is something that many struggle with - a sense of worthiness. This is because we equate worth with what someone has done or is doing / achieving. God insists that we do not determine our worthiness because whenever we do that we are getting into the realm of religious efforts and not intimate relationship with him. Whenever we feel we have to "prove" ourselves worthy of someone's love, we work overtime to convince them that we are worth loving. The simple fact is that we are intensely loved JUST THE WAY WE ARE! Romans 8:29-30 goes on to say that God knew what he was doing from the very beginning - deciding from the outset to shape our lives along the same lines as the life of his Son, Jesus. The fact is, Jesus is our "mirror". We see the original and intended shape of our lives IN HIM. It was all God's work that set us on a solid foundation - his intense love for us is the basis of that foundation. The fact is, God not only STARTS the project of restoring us to wholeness, he COMPLETES it! That means we can be assured that what has been declared "worthy" by God (that is you and me) will stand that way forever!

The part we play in the salvation experience is pretty limited. God calls, we listen. Our part is hearing and responding - he does the rest. Don't miss what I am saying here - we don't even seek - he seeks us, calling out to us so that we can find him in the midst of our chaotic mess of life! Our part is to just "hear"! It is in hearing that we come to a place of acceptance - we are no longer bound to our sin nature - there is an exchange of nature. Someone once asked me the question, "Which one of your sins did Jesus take to the cross that day on Calvary?" You know how we each are when it comes to admitting to this truth - we begin to list off this sin, and maybe that one! The fact is, Jesus took ALL our sins to the cross - those we had already committed and all that we might commit down the road. He didn't just die for the sins of our past - he knew there would still be struggles with sin in our future and he died for those, too. Our salvation is through a repeated gift of grace in our lives. Grace can never be added to - we don't ever add works to grace! Grace allows do-overs in life! His grace pursues us until we get it right! So, don't think of your salvation experience as a point in time, but as a progressive act of grace upon grace in your lives. It is in the extended grace that we become the image of the one we behold! Behold the right image of who we were meant to become and we will! Just sayin!

Masterpiece

For You shaped me, inside and out. You knitted me together in my mother’s womb long before I took my first breath. I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. You have approached even the smallest details with excellence; Your works are wonderful; I carry this knowledge deep within my soul.  (Psalm 139:13-14 VOICE)

We have probably heard that little quip, "God don't make no junk". We could also say, "God doesn't make mistakes".  Consider this for just a moment...

When God made you and I, he made us "IN his own image" (Genesis 1:26).  "Now let us conceive a new creation - humanity - made in our image, fashioned according to our likeness."  When we complain about the "image" we bear, we are really saying we don't like the image of God, since we are fashioned "according to the likeness of God".  If a sculptor had a model upon a stool for a whole day, chipping away at the stone from which he would fashion the "likeness" of the one on the stool, wouldn't it be expected the "image" of what he created would closely resemble the model?  Certainly!  That is the purpose of the model!  To have a "pattern" to follow.  I will leave us with a little list of things to consider anytime we want to complain about the way God has created us:

1. We are acceptable to God - completely forgiven - so nothing we "do" or "don't do" is going to make us more acceptable to him. (Romans 5:1)

2. Because of the work of Christ on our behalf, we are made new - even the stuff we think would make us "unacceptable" or "flawed goods" in some respect really aren't part of who we are any longer. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

3. We may have BEEN sinners, but that is not who we are once we say "yes" to Jesus - we are now "grace-born" and as such, we are no longer under the rule or control of sin in our lives.  Sure, sin's pull still exists, but we are no longer defined as "sinner", but as "saint".  (Romans 6:1-6)

4. The "old me" may want to take control on occasion, but I need to remember I am a new creation - old things don't have to control me (or you). We may think we cannot ever move from doing the "bad stuff" we once did into a place of doing the "good stuff" we want to do, but truth be told, we live by a new life resident within us. (Galatians 2:20)

5. God calls us each a "masterpiece" - created in Christ's image - to do good works.  Any other "image" we might think we bear is really a "false image" because we are all masterpiece creations. (Ephesians 5:10)

God doesn't make junk!  In fact, he makes "junk" into masterpiece creations!  Just sayin!

Familiar, but not really

This past week, our pastor spoke to us about being so familiar with some things in the church, we almost "warp" our beliefs by the familiarity which has become a way of life to us.  Let me explain what he meant with this statement.  We get so familiar with the things of God, we almost take them for granted - taking them for granted leads to us not always developing and keeping a keen awareness of the truth.  We can sometimes "soften" the truth about God's character.  For example, we "believe" God is all powerful - but do we go to him in prayer each and every time we are faced with the impossible? We "believe" God is all knowing, but do we turn to him for the wisdom we need or just try to figure things out on our own.  We can end up in the pursuit of religious thoughts and principles, but miss out on the fact of the powerful God in the midst of our lives.  As Israel was set apart as the nation God would choose to dwell among, he told them to not create any other image of him as they would be tempted to create because of what he knew they would come into contact with in their journey into the Promised Land.  I think God was telling them the same thing my pastor was telling us - have no one else in your life that you trust in more than God - no image that you relate to in order to relate to God.  I wonder if we really understand what this means?

But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.  (Romans 1:18-23 MSG)

I think God was warning us about bringing him down to our level.  We cannot bring God down to our level and remain steadfast in our beliefs.  God's kingdom came to us in the reality and power of Christ - we don't change God's character just because his character was present with us in the form of Christ.  Any time we take the truth, become so "familiar" with it so as to allow it to lose its original intent and purpose, we have engaged in changing the reality and power of Christ's character into something we form an opinion about rather than the steadfastness of his "real" character.  We are always in the business of creating something we trust in, aren't we?  I believe God was really trying to remind us of the silliness of trying to create anything more than we trust in him.  The issues we face today are really stepping stones to clarify our "image" of God - not a literal image, but our beliefs; what it is we are certain about as it concerns God.  One truth we must keep in mind - we become like whatever it is we idolize.  Let that one sink in a little.  

If we see only one side of a truth, we often don't create a "perfect" image of that which we see, don't we?  For example, look at a tree.  If you were to close your eyes and then I asked you to create an "image" of the tree in your mind, you'd probably make it leaf-covered, complete with the bark.  You'd likely miss the "image" of the inside workings of the tree - the place where the life of the tree is actually maintained.  To see only one side of the truth about God's love is to see only one side of his character.  Love is both embracing AND just; it is both nurturing AND correcting.  We need to have an accurate perception of God's character.   We cannot get there by looking at what another "imagines" God to be - we have to discover it ourselves in the truths of his Word, the teachings of his Holy Spirit within us, and the revelation of his character in the creation around us.  Even creation serves to reveal him to us.  We find out who we are by finding out who God is - for we were created in his image.  I think we have struggled with this for a long, long time.  We look to anything or anyone else to define who we are, but since we were created in his "image", any other image is really inadequate to express the fullness of his character.

Having any other image of God than the truth of who he is will lead to us having things in our lives which block our growth in relationship with him.  We need to see him accurately in order to grow adequately!  Others will attempt to "script" our lives for us - we cannot allow this to happen - for only one person really knows what we were created to do - God himself.  All God asks of his children is pure and simple devotion - to have no other image of him than the truth he reveals.  To "fill in the blanks" with any other "material" about what we "suppose" about God's character is to create an untrustworthy idol of God.  We might just need to find out what we have made so "familiar" about God in our lives - those things we have used to "fill in the blanks" the way we "see" them.  In so doing, we might have to let go of a few things which really don't measure up to the reality of who or what God is, how he operates.  In developing an accurate "image" of God's character, we open ourselves up to the possibilities of following him differently than we ever have before.  For truth begets truth - familiarity begets sloppy religious pursuit.  Just sayin!

We SHALL - not we MIGHT

Wouldn't we all like to know what our future state will be?  We have this gnawing desire to know the future.  As parents, we want to see what our kids will turn out to be like, dream about what accomplishments they undertake, and imagine them doing certain things or marrying certain individuals.  As children, we imagine taking flight into the great unknown, discovering parts unknown to common man, or discovering some new invention which will set the world on fire with excitement.  As believers, what do we imagine about our future state?  Our imaginations often stop at what we can see in our mind's eye about what it is we can comprehend or believe about our children or ourselves.  We often don't look beyond what we can "see" into the unknown realm of what is "promised" to those of us who have put our faith in Christ Jesus.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  (I John 3:2 NIV)

First of all, John points out our future state includes seeing Christ.  Today, I can only imagine what it would be like to actually be "face-to-face" with him.  I can picture it, but even what I imagine is probably just a "made up" image of what it will be like to actually "see" him.  When we begin to consider this, it probably doesn't seem too exciting, but in reality, what we "see" of Christ around us today is what we see of him in other "imperfect" people.  We see the example of his love and grace, as it is revealed in their lives.  Yet, we don't actually see him - we see the evidence of him in them!  Now, this isn't a bad thing because this is what Christ had in mind as he told us to live as examples - letting his light shine through us to a dark world.  I don't know about you, but if I really want to see the true color of something, I go outside into the sunlight - because there is nothing quite as revealing as the light of the sun.  The same thing is true about the "son-light" - we may see all kinds of "hues" of light in each other, but there is nothing quite as awesome and revealing as the light of the Son.

Don't miss the point John wants us to see in this passage - this promise is not for those in the future, or those in the past.  It is for us.  We are the ones who shall see Christ - we are "counted" in the number of those who will become acquainted with his "face-to-face" appearance.  Sometimes we want to undermine our own "standing" with Christ by discounting the work he has done in us which assures us of this ability to enjoy his presence in our lives.  We want to imagine ourselves as not all that worthy of coming face-to-face with him, but the opposite is actually true.  It is because Christ came face-to-face with us that we can enjoy and count on the privilege of being face-to-face with him!

The most amazing thing here is that we don't see Jesus today as we will see him tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that.  Into eternity, our revelation of Christ becomes greater and greater until we come into a full revelation of his love, greatness, power, strength, grace, etc.  Today, we only know each of these in part - tomorrow we will know a little more - into the future, we will still know each of these a little better - but into eternity, we shall have the full revelation.

What does this continual "revealing" of Christ do in us today?  When we behold Christ long enough, we begin to see ourselves in a different light.  There is something transformational in seeing Christ.  The small revelation we have of him today added to the revelation we have of him from yesterday begins to provide some "transition" points in our lives.  You see, we cannot see Christ as he is and not be transformed in the process.  When we see the sacrificial and costly love of Christ, we cannot help but in awe that one would love us so much to pay such a terrific cost just to have us close to him.  In a word, we begin to see him as he is and we begin to see ourselves as he sees us - as like him.

In examining this passage, there is something which we almost could gloss over - the word "shall".  It is used twice.  We shall see him as he is and we shall be like him.  Now, before you already want to tell yourself a different story in your mind about why you will never be quite like him, let me tell you another story which you need to hold onto.  When God says something SHALL be a certain way, it SHALL be that way!  It is a "given" - it is "determined" - it is not "maybe" or you "may" finally be closer to being like him.  It is you SHALL be like him!  Plain and simple - stop telling yourself anything less than the truth - for the truth SHALL set you free from the lies of your past!

Just some thoughts today on what it is we might begin to imagine if we'd just change the focus of our imagination to align with what Christ says about us!  There is nothing quite as liberating as knowing and believing the truth.  Just sayin!

How do you see me?

Have you ever felt a "bad attitude" just creeping up on you?  You are working away, living life, and almost without notice, you find yourself thinking thoughts you should not, responding curtly, or managing to "disengage" from the circumstances completely.  Get behind a slow moving car when you are late to your next appointment and see what you will imagine about the driver in front of you!  Never once do you stop to consider they may have just left the hospital where they said their last good-byes to a loved one, or that they are working hard to get the little bit of horsepower out of their overly used vehicle simply because they cannot afford anything with more "pep".  Sometimes what is at the core of the issue is "US" - not someone else!  We have allowed the wrong attitude to form - usually about US, not the other person!  When we do this, it "colors" how we interpret everything else in life.  

What you say about yourself means nothing in God’s work. It’s what God says about you that makes the difference.  (2 Corinthians 10:18 The Message)

Whenever we feel superior to another - it affects how we view the other person.  When we feel like we have less stature, value, or importance than the other person - we put ourselves down and cannot see any "value" in what it is we have to contribute.  What we "think" about ourselves affects how we deal with other people, doesn't it?  So, if we have "stinking thinking" about US, then it colors all we think about OTHERS.

We get all "attitudinal" about others when we find ourselves to be in some way more important, or superior, to another.  Playing the superiority game is dangerous business, though.  It often stems from a root of pride which we just have not dealt with in the God expects.  We haven't allowed him to help us form the right attitudes about US, so we have wrong attitudes about OTHERS.  Measure yourself against any other standard than Christ and you have a faulty measuring device!  What God gave us in the example of Christ made flesh, dwelling among mankind, is priceless.  It allowed us to "picture" the attitudes he desires, the behaviors right attitudes produce, and the heart toward others only he can give.

There are a whole lot of things which go into making us and others who we are.  For example, we have different parents.  The influence of the various parents we have makes for a variety of different values - similar, but not likely "spot on" as we "compare" one person to another, right?  Add normal mental development to parental influence in our lives (or the lack thereof), and we will find some who have creative imaginations, others with strong abilities to reason and reflect.  If this is not enough to set us all out as different, we can add such influences as how quickly, or slowly, our physical development occurs.  Some are "early bloomers", struggling with hormone "issues" way ahead of others.  Some are "late bloomers", seemingly taking forever to just show any signs of "development".  All these things, and more, add up to help us form attitudes about others and ourselves.  Anywhere along the line, we can form misguided thoughts about ourselves!

Relationships are just difficult stuff!  We cannot "disengage" from the influences of how we developed, so we bring all this "stuff" into the mix of any relationship we form.  If it is with another, we find out just how "different" two people can be.  But...when we bring all our "stuff" into the mix of relating with God, we often find we have a warped impression of what God thinks about us!  We allow what we have come to believe about ourselves, because of the influence of our own minds and the influence of others, to "color" what we believe God thinks about us.

This brings us back to our passage today.  Paul reminds us of the importance of not relying upon what we (or others) say about US - listen to what God says!  To understand what he says about us, we have been given some "tools" because we don't just sit across from God on the sofa, take his hand, and look into his eyes as we communicate with each other!  It would sometimes be so much easier if we did!  The Word of God is the primary "tool" we have been give to allow us to search out what God says about how he feel about us, what he has committed to do on our behalf, and how he manages the lives of those he loves.  If we neglect to get the "right" perspective found there, we often live with lots and lots of "wrong" perspective!

Wrong perspective colors everything we say and do.  Just as expected, getting the "right" perspective is not always easy.  We have to allow what we have come to "accept" or "believe" about ourselves to be challenged.  This is the first step toward gaining "right" perspective!  When we stop holding onto the wrong beliefs, we are open to taking on the new ones.  Sometimes we need the second "tool" God gives us in order to help us with this one - the tool of wise counsel.  I heard my pastor describe this as someone who is living by the standards laid out in scripture.  I don't expect us to find many who "live it all perfectly", but there are wise individuals who are headed in the right direction who we need to help us get perspective sometimes.  What makes them "powerful" in our quest for the right perspective is their ability to see us as we "display" ourselves.  Since we don't see ourselves very well, we need others to help us see us as we "put ourselves on display".

When we find out what scripture has to say about how God sees and values us, coupled with the wisdom of those who are walking this out with God everyday, we are accessing "tools" which will unlock the wrong beliefs we have formed.  When we submit these to God, we then are opened to receiving the truth about US.  When we start seeing ourselves as God sees us, we begin to see others as God sees them!  Just sayin....

Presentation is Everything!

Have you ever followed a recipe so closely so as not to miss one important ingredient and then wondered why your "finished product" did not appear just as the beautifully adorned photograph in the picture?  I have!  No one told me I'd need a sprig of parsley, a lemon wedge, and a fancy drizzling device to make my plate appear EXACTLY as the picture!  Sometimes we have all the right ingredients, but we lack something in the presentation.


^3-4 Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.  (2 Peter 1:3-4 The Message)


There are times when we know we have all the "right ingredients" which go into living for Christ, but wonder about the "presentation".  The stuff which "go into" making us strong in the Lord, building us up, and producing the image of Christ in us is all there - we have the right ingredients.  Yet, we lack just a little in the presentation!  We can possess all the right ingredients - if it is not presented well, it just does not have the same "appeal".  The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to help us with the "presentation". 


Presentation is everything!  We can present almost anything as reality - we simply have to believe it well enough to "present" it in a convincing matter.  We have been given all things in Christ Jesus (vs. 3).  What we "do" with what we have been given determines the "finished product".  Not sure how to live a godly life - don't fret - you have been given all things you need!  Now we need a "tutor" to assist us with the "ingredients" and the "presentation"!


We are enabled to share in the divine image of Christ - simply by the gift of all God provides in giving us everything which goes into a life of pleasing God!  We don't even need to "find" the ingredients - he gives them all to us.  Do you ever remember going into the Home Economics classroom, finding a recipe laid out on the counter, and then finding all the ingredients you'd need right there?  It is kind of like that with God - he does all the prep work for us!


Our "mind's eye" may see the ingredients coming together in one way - while God's "divine eye" sees them in quite a different way!  Because our mind is limited, we just don't consider all the ways God sees his graces coming together into a glorious presentation of his goodness and love in us.  God knows best how to display his graces in our lives - he is the master of "presentation".  We'd do well to trust him with it!


Our part in the process is the "leaving" - we leave the things which corrupt - those choices which would "taint" the freshness and goodness of what God is creating within.  The promise of what lays ahead is enough to "wet our appetites" for the outcome of his creation!  Nothing compares to the life which has been prepared for those who trust Christ Jesus!

Pigeon-hole gods

Most of us live by some unwritten code which implies rules are for breaking, not for keeping.  There is just some inward "pull" to break a few rules once in a while.  Yesterday we began to look at the sensibility of "following the rules" God sets out for us.  His first "rule" was very clearly stated:  No other god but me.  His second is almost along the same line, but with a little different "twist":

⁴ “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea."  

(Exodus 20:4 New Living Translation)

No other god but me focused on any affection or attention we directed toward another person or pursuit which clearly took our affection and attention off God himself.  Today's "rule" deals with trying to pigeon-hole God into a box which fits our "image" of what he should be like.

Let me elaborate a little.  God warned against creating some "graven image" - carved sculpture or the like - which we'd look upon and form some attachment with.  Why?  Simply because God does not "fit" man's limited (finite) image!  He is all things to all people, all knowing, all places at all times, unlimited in power, and totally holy.  Try "fitting" these characteristics into some "image" and you will find yourself frustrated by the limitations of your own mind to actually accomplish it!

In a deeper sense, God really does not want us to "limit" him by what we envision him to be like.  God's abilities are beyond our "reasoning" powers.  His love is beyond our ability comprehend the unfathomable depths of its grace.  His desires toward us are outside of our limited emotionally-based affections.  In other words, when we try to "understand" God by having him "fit" a particular image, we limit him in our lives.  God knows the dangers of limiting him - so he directs us to avoid the creation of an image which pigeon-holes him.  

In times past, pigeons were kept in these little cabinets, stored away until they would be served up as delicacies.  The purpose of keeping them in the "hole" was to fatten them up for the meal at hand.  As cabinet making became an art, pigeon-holes were built into cabinetry and furnishings in order to neatly store away items.  As we use the term today, we simply refer to the process of "putting away" something for a later use, or classifying it according to some function.

I think this is what God may have in mind when he asks us not to "pigeon-hole" him!  He is not some "delicacy" just to be fattened up and enjoyed only on certain occasions!  He is not stored away until there is some later need for him.  In fact, whenever we try to "classify" him in any particular manner, we are setting "boundaries" in our minds which only serve to create a limited perspective of his authority, power, and purpose in our lives.

Most of us understand "graven images" of God are not something which honor God.  Yet, I wonder if we really understand the "images" of God we have set up in our own minds?  I believe we may have more "limiting images" of God than we first imagine.  We might do very well to see just where we have been "pigeon-holing" God in our minds - limiting him in some way because we hold him up to the "candle" of some merely human characteristic or attribute.  God is not limited - we'd do well to let him live "unlimited" in our lives!

Gaze on!

  ⁵⁴ Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived.

 ⁵⁵ I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions.  ⁵⁶ This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments.

(Psalm 119:54-56 The New Living Bible)

⁵⁴ Your laws are the songs I sing wherever I am living. ⁵⁵ LORD, in the night I remembered your name, and I obeyed your teachings. ⁵⁶ This happened because I carefully obey your instructions.

(Psalm 119:54-56 Easy-to-Read Version)

I gave us a couple of versions of this passage to read this morning so that we can put together some thoughts.  In examining this passage, several "themes" became apparent:

- David has made following God's decrees (his Word) his way of "doing business".  He has a lot of choices (as do we) in dealing with the stress of life. His choice was to turn to God.  Wherever he was "living" - there God was in his midst - right down to the songs he sang.  Have you ever noticed how easy it is to remember a passage of scripture when it is set to song?  Think about some of the praise and worship songs you sing in your church.  Many come from the psalms and are rally portions of scripture.  We are moved by those songs - because the Word was meant to be rehearsed until it had impact.  Songs will do that - they get into the core of our being.  That is why we find ourselves hearing a little bit of a song and then we "can't get it out of our head".  

- David reflects often and frequently on God's Word.  It is in this reflection that most of the impact is made in his life.  This is the idea of "pondering".  It is in the "pondering" that the reflection of Christ is evident in our lives.  To reflect is to allow the reproduction of what is beheld.  As David takes time to behold his Lord, he begins to notice that there is evidence of that reflection apparent in his life - it is evident in the actions that reflection produces.

- Reflection helps to get us to the point of obedience.  The product, or result, of reflecting upon Jesus is a change in our activity.  We move from a place of self-direction into a place of reliance upon God.  We gravitate toward choices that will build up our spirit rather than tear or weigh it down.  We tend to display love and mercy, as it has been displayed to us in the reflection we see of Christ.  David makes no excuses - obedience was not his first choice in life. Neither is it ours!  It was in the continual reflection upon God's Word that his choices were changed.

- Life doesn't just happen; it is orchestrated and planned out in the moments we take in reflection upon God's Word.  Look again at what David says - your laws are the songs I sing where I am living.  We need an "orchestra" leader to pull together all the parts of our lives into some ordered symphony of praise!  Without some "leadership", the "parts" are just that - parts.  When God leads our lives, the "parts" become a "symphony" of praise and adoration - they bring honor to the one who orchestrates the parts!

Look at what David reflects upon - who God is.  Not just on what God does, but on who he is.  When we come to understand the character of God, we often see the flaws of those we have been influenced by in our past living.  Those influences may not have produced good things within our lives, but God always does!  It is one thing to think highly and praise someone for doing good stuff.  It is quite another to appreciate, honor, and reverence someone because of the good that makes up their character.  

David got to know the character of God in the wee hours of the night - in the times of quiet reflection upon what he experienced that day.  In the failures of our day, God's reflection back to us is mercy.  In the moments of anger or frustration, God's reflection back to us is peace and love.  In the times of wrong choices, God's reflection back to us is a new start.  No wonder David finds reflection such a rewarding and uplifting pursuit!

If we struggle with "getting to" a place of obedience in our lives, perhaps we could begin where David did - in times of reflecting upon God.  He clearly says that obedience was an outcome of seeing things through God's eyes - that is what reflection really is.  When you look into a mirror, you are seeing what others see!  When we look into Jesus, we are seeing what he sees!  So, gaze on!  Reflect until the reflection you see is that of Jesus in you - the hope of GLORY!

Mirror, Mirror on the wall...

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?

(Romans 8:31-32 The Message)

In other translations, this passage begins with the words, "If God be for us, who then can be against us..."  Well, I think our worst enemy is not some demonic agent of hell, but US!  It is amazing to me to see the things we believe about ourselves that keep us limited in our lives.  The passage begins with a very telling question:  "What do YOU think?"  The answer to this question goes a long way in us walking INTO growth as we should and not AWAY FROM it!

The truth we often fail to embrace is that God did not hesitate to embrace us - in our sin, aware fully of our fickleness of heart, and knowing full well that every promise we'd make him would always be with the best of intentions!  We often want to accept God's forgiveness only when we FEEL forgiven - like when we FEEL we have DONE enough to truly be forgiven.  The truth is that God already forgave at the cross and once he forgives, it is final!

The way we "view" ourselves often determines the way we walk.  For example, if we see ourselves as a failure, we often won't try new things because we don't think we can accomplish them.  If we see ourselves as unattractive, we portray that "image" of ourselves in how we dress, the way we hold ourselves, etc.  The "image" we have of ourselves in our "mind's eye" is often overriding of the image God holds of us in his.

The verse says, "If God be for us, who can stand against us?"  I would like to say no one, but I know from practical experience that we can indeed be our worst enemy!  I want us to refer back to the beginning verses of this chapter for a moment:

Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. 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 8:1-2 The Message)

A new power is in operation in our lives - we can come out from under that black cloud of doubt, feelings of worthlessness, and spirit of oppression that keeps us focusing on the OLD us.  The Spirit of Christ - like a strong wind - frees us.  Living in Arizona, I know the power of a strong wind!  Monsoon season around here can see winds into the 50 mph range.  Roofs take a beating, trees are uprooted, and dust billows across the baron desert floor.  Think about the power of one monsoon wind and multiply that by about a billion.  Now, maybe you have some idea of the work of the Spirit of Christ within you!

We are freed, not because of what we do or say, but because of the Spirit that works within us as children of the Most High.  If that is not enough, here is what else this chapter points out for us:

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.

(Romans 8:5-7 The Message)

Our own moral "muscle" is really a pretty flabby one!  Try as we might, we will never change our nature - only Christ is capable of doing that.  Attention to God, and the activity of his Spirit within us, is what leads us into places of freedom beyond our wildest imagination.

Isn't it time that we begin to examine ourselves in the mirror of the Word and not the mirror of our minds?