Shaken to the Core

You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. (Hebrews 12:24-25)

We can refuse to change our minds - determined that we know what is best for our lives, but when we determine to never allow our hearts to be changed, there is no hope for our minds! The mind change occurs because of the heart change. We may not understand the connection between the two, but it exists. To live a transformed life requires a yielded heart and a mind renewed.

To refuse is to make a determination that we will not accept or do something. We actually demand our own way whenever we refuse. To refuse God's invitation leaves us in a very dangerous place, though. All will be shaken, but will all stand? Only those who have their lives built upon a solid foundation will be unshakeable. Do you have an unshakeable mind and heart? 

"Keep your feet on the ground, but let your heart soar as high as it will. Refuse to be average or to surrender to the chill of your spiritual environment." (Arthur Helps) Is your heart soaring as high as possible? That ability comes only when we give ourselves to Christ. We may think we are 'flying high' above life's miseries and problems but trust me on this one - we don't have any idea how high we can soar until we take wings with Christ at the controls!

Too many times we choose to 'surrender to the chill of our spiritual environment' - allowing our hearts to grow cold and our minds be swayed by the emerging thoughts of the day. Allow Christ to take control of your heart and what will emerge may not be the 'latest trend or fad', but a living hope and some very well-grounded actions. Some believe they will never be shaken, but ALL will be shaken. How will you stand when all around you is shaking? Just asking...

Our collective knowledge

People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them. 

(Epictetus)

I cannot help but find this quote a little 'practical' today. Isn't this what all these debates on each side of an argument do to us? They disturb something within us - not because the ideal is wrong, but the view we take of the ideal might be less than 'right' in somebody's view. It amazes me that a Greek philosopher from the first century actually might remind us of something so profound. We are 'disturbed' more by the 'side' we assume than by the 'thing' we are debating! Are you also aware that Epictetus said, "If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid"? Maybe some of us just need to take our stand, but stop debating the 'views' of all the others who think us foolish and stupid!

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. (I Corinthians 1:27)

Epictetus also reminded us, "The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best." There will always be contention as long as we live on this earth, but we don't have to choose to engage in what some debate. Why? We aren't going to uplift anybody by debating - we will just drive wedges deeper and make the gaps in our beliefs wider. The truth is to be told - there is no greater message regardless of the 'debate' of the hour. Surround yourself with the right company and you will always find you are being built up, not torn down!

Epictetus also told us it wasn't 'what' happened to us that made the difference, but 'how' we reacted to it. This isn't new information because God has been telling us there is 'right' and 'wrong' way to respond to life's events since the beginning of time. We either reject the lie and embrace the truth, or we accept the lie and forsake the truth. The choice is ours - how we 'react' will be an evidence of which of these we have embraced! God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise - the weak to confound the mighty. That is counter-intuitive, isn't it? God doesn't always 'do' things as we would expect - because he isn't limited by our view of the situation.

God expects us to use what we have been given in Christ Jesus to confound this world. Not with a mighty sledge-hammer pounding truth home, but with the 'pressure' of the Spirit of God's presence in our lives. The 'company' we keep is first with God himself - then with others who also seek to uplift Christ first and foremost. As we keep this 'company', we find our 'wisdom' far outreaches the heights of the wisest in this world. Why? We have the collective knowledge of God on our side! Just sayin!

No choice but to flee

How many of us seem to just be 'spinning our wheels'? We seem to be going nowhere, but we are doing a lot of work to get 'nowhere'. There are times in each of our lives when we just feel like we have been "marching all night". We seem to be constantly moving, but accomplishing very little - exhausted by the many battles of our day that seem to just keep coming no matter how many we have fought. These are the times when our enemy wants to mount his most significant attacks. Why is this the best time for him to attack? He views us as "weak" when we have been "marching long"! He views our physical exertion and weakness as spiritual weakness, too! Silly devil, don't you know who we stand with and who stands strong on our behalf?

Joshua marched all night from Gilgal and took them by total surprise. God threw them into total confusion before Israel, a major victory at Gibeon. Israel chased them along the ridge to Beth Horon and fought them all the way down to Azekah and Makkedah. As they ran from the People of Israel, down from the Beth Horon ridge and all the way to Azekah, God pitched huge stones on them out of the sky and many died. More died from the hailstones than the People of Israel killed with the sword. (Joshua 10:9-11)

Israel's armies had taken Ai and Jericho and now the news of the victories won in those two very 'tough' regions has reached the other kings in the surrounding regions. Adoni-Zedek is the king of Jerusalem at the time - he is their region leader, but he is not the commander of their military. He gets a little worried by the things he hears about Joshua's army. In order to "plan ahead", he aligns himself with four other kings in the region to attempt to form an alliance which will hold off the forces of Israel. That plan would align four military commanders to strategize to overcome Joshua's military force. His plan is to mount such a forceful attack against Israel so as to keep them from invading any of the territory ruled by these five kings. Silly kings! Who can stand against the "march" of the army of the Lord?

Joshua receives a message from a smaller town known as Gilgal - a plea for help was sent to Joshua because they didn't have the forces to withstand these allied military forces. They see the five allied kings as a threat to their territory - pleading with Joshua for his help to intervene against them. So Joshua set out from Gilgal, his whole army with him—all those tough soldiers in a 'march' toward what would likely be a very tough battle! BUT....God told him, "Don't give them a second thought. I've put them under your thumb—not one of them will stand up to you." (vs. 8) A huge allied army laid before him and his men - yet nothing stood in their way - they were under God's protective arm!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we always faced battles with this same kind of assurance? Hearing clearly from God that nothing and no one will stand in our way or be able to stand up to us! We probably have heard those words, but we somehow stand there in the face of the enemy's attack and forget everything we have heard. We somehow talk ourselves out of believing how strong God's defense is when we see the massive attack our enemy mounts against us! Why? We are tired from the battle and worn down by the stress of the day! Look at what happens with Joshua. He takes the troops - marches all night. Now, if you have ever had to march with "full armor", you know how tiring that is. The troops did not get a lot of time to "rest up" before their next battle! BUT...they march in, taking the enemy by surprise! The "fortified forces" of the allied armies were nothing in comparison to the strength of the army of God. What gave the army of God this strength? 

A faithful leader. The best armies are nothing until they align with the purposes of their leader. We "win" battles when we are aligned with the right leader! Five kings aligned their forces with the "wrong" leader! One force was "fortified" by their alignment with God as their leader! We are fortified for the battle when we are aligned with the faithfulness of God. An obedient army. The best leadership is nothing if there are not obedient forces who align themselves with the leadership! God's greatest opportunities come in the area of our allegiance. When we determine to be obedient, even when it is not convenient or the easiest choice to make, we are aligning with his goals for our lives. As we align, we are made strong. No force can withstand the force of obedience!

An unlimited amount of resources. The skies actually opened on behalf of Israel. Look at our passage again - more were killed by the hailstones than by the sword! Think of the amazing thing which could be missed here - none of Israel's army were hit by those falling stones! Only the enemy! We sometimes get "bogged down" in the battle - tired and stressed out - but if we were to look up, we might just see "unlimited resources" at our disposal! What we cannot accomplish in our own ability - God undertakes in his supernatural ability! March on, my friends! The battle might look overwhelming - forces seemingly aligning against you - BUT God's leadership, coupled with your obedience, will bring unlimited resources to your disposal! Let the skies open up on your behalf! The enemy will have no choice but to flee! You will have no choice but to STAND and STAND STRONG. Just sayin!

What do you stand for?

Virtue is a positive quality developed by taking a firm stand for the right in temptation, or by the suffering endured in consequence of wrongdoing. (Max Heindel)

I cannot help but think there are some who think bearing any consequences for wrongdoing is just 'not fair'. It is like they expect to do something against moral or ethical standards and just go on as though nothing bad happened. The consequences for bad choices should always be there - even when we think otherwise. If nothing else, I have felt the very guilty conscience for some of my wrong actions in life - a feeling that led me straight to my knees and into pretty deep conversation with my Maker! Why? I don't want to live by the violation of any moral or ethical standard, but I make wrong choices that require me to make course adjustments in life. Sometimes I bear the real and tough consequences for my actions, while at others I know God has spared me some painful ones that are merely because of his extreme love and mercy. If we want to stand for anything in this lifetime, we need to stand for what is right - and that may include us bearing up under some pretty tough consequences that we probably would have rather avoided.

A man will not stand by doing what is wrong, but the root of those who are right with God will not be moved. (Proverbs 12:3)

We all 'stand for' something in this lifetime. I want us to take a little inventory this morning to really ask ourselves what it is our lives are telling others that we 'stand for' today. Not what we tell ourselves that we stand for, but what others observe in our lives as the things we genuinely 'stand for' by our life actions. We will make our list and if we were bold enough to ask someone else to make a list of what they see us standing for in life, I wonder if those lists would be remotely similar? Oh, some of the points will probably match up very closely, but there may be others that are on our list (the things we think we stand for), but they don't even show up on the other person's list. Why is that? Have you ever heard that old saying, "We talk the walk, but we don't always walk the talk"? We have a lot of things we think we 'stand for' in this life we walk, but in truth, it is merely talk.

Nothing is harder than getting our 'walk' and 'talk' to align. It is quite easy to 'commit' to one thing, but as soon as something more appealing comes along, we find ourselves bailing on our commitment. Don't believe me? Drive by some garage sales this Saturday and observe just how many weight benches, treadmills, and exercise bikes are for sale! It isn't because they upgraded - those things were gathering dust and it was time for them to go! The commitment was there at one time, but it waxed and waned until the thing that meant so much to them just didn't matter anymore. It may be time for us to look at the things in our life that we have taken a 'stand for' and just how much of that 'stand' really remains today. If we find there is any disconnect between what we say we stand for and what we manifest, it is time for an adjustment. Either the stand was wrong, or the commitment isn't there. Just sayin!

My own two feet

I used to wear more types of shoes that required lacing up, but not so much anymore. You'd think that not having laces to come untied and tangled up in your gait would make it less likely that you'd trip yourself, but let me assure you it doesn't take laces to do that! I can trip over air on the sidewalk! Upright one minute and splayed out in the dirt the next! That said, have you ever noticed it isn't all that hard to 'trip up' when it comes to our spiritual walk? The things that manage to 'trip us up' are sometimes not all that 'apparent', such as the untied shoelace flapping about. They are subtle, sometimes not even noticed, and all together as dangerous as can be!

God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in. If I keep my eyes on God, I won’t trip over my own feet. (Psalm 25:14-15 MSG)

The thing God desires is for our attention to be fixed on him. Now, that said, let me be the first to quickly admit keeping one's attention 'fixed' on anything these days is harder than one might imagine. The eye can be diverted in a million different directions, sometimes without the mind even being aware it has been diverted! Our spiritual walk is riddled with 'untied shoelaces' and 'cracks in the sidewalk'. We trip up a lot, don't we? Or am I the only one with a 'focus problem' here? It seems I go along well for a period of time, then almost imperceptibly I have drifted a little off-center. It is that 'imperceptible' part I think God wants each of us to work on!

The things we cannot see are probably the most dangerous things in our lives. I cannot see a virus, but I have full knowledge of the effect of what that 'unseen' thing can do when given access to my body. I cannot easily see spores drifting on an air current, but I can feel their effect in my lungs and nasal passages when they gain entrance into my body! The things we don't see are oftentimes the things we might not realize are lurking in our midst just waiting for the right opportunity to 'trip us up'. Keeping our eyes on Jesus isn't easy with all these distractions around us, but when we do have him at the center of our focus we probably have no clue how many of these 'unseen things' we have avoided conflict with!

How do we maintain focus? I think the main way is to take very specific time each and every day to just pause for a period of time and sit alone with Jesus. It doesn't have to be hours, but even a small portion of our day dedicated to him is more than enough to help us regather our focus. In fact, the more consistent we become with taking this time out with him, the more we might just see the things that otherwise would be 'hidden' from our view. We begin to see things through his eyes, not just our own. I cannot tell you how many times I have just sat quiet for a couple minutes under the shade of a tree, or in the quiet of my den, only to have him point out something that had been tripping me up all week. The quiet moment allowed him to speak - the quiet moment also allowed me to listen!

Look what we trip over - it is our own feet! That says much, my friends. Tripping up is often blamed on another, but the most common 'trip up' is the one I cause myself. The more I allow God to help me take my focus off of others and allow it to be clearly directed toward my own life, the more I begin to see how the issues I have with another are probably much of my own doing. The quiet moments with God oftentimes yield the greatest results because I stop focusing on everyone else and the focus is back on my own two feet! Just sayin!

Just standing....

Comic book heroes of the '50's and '60's were all a kid could think about. Superman zooming through the open skies, swooping down just in time to save the injustice from being done. Some 'super-villain' would have to be dealt with and the super-hero would step in to 'save the day' in just the nick of time. Captain Comet, Flash, Batman, Batwoman....the list goes on. Everyone wanted (and needed) a hero! What did these heroes all have in common? They took a stand for justice of some kind. Taking a stand for something in life is probably one of the most telling things about an individual. The things or people that an individual takes a stand for reveal the priorities of the individual, the values developed in life learning, and the importance one places on that thing or person in their life. There are really two things worth taking a stand for: Justice and the Right.

I stood up for justice and the right; don't leave me to the mercy of my oppressors. Take the side of your servant, good God; don't let the godless take advantage of me. I can't keep my eyes open any longer, waiting for you to keep your promise to set everything right. (Psalm 119:121-123)

Justice is simply the moral "rightness" of a matter or individual. In daily choices, we'd say an individual is exhibiting just behavior when they are allowing moral principles to guide their practice. There are just some things and individuals we should stand up for like the widow that cannot provide for her own needs after the loss of a spouse of many years, or the orphan left with no family to surround them with the love they so desperately need. The right is exhibited in an individual operating in accordance with what is good, proper, or just. Really, we cannot separate Justice from the Right. They go hand-in-hand. You could say God expects us to be 'agents of Justice' in our everyday life.

It is so easy to stand up for those we believe to be exhibiting "moral excellence", but how well do we handle those in our lives that exhibit actions we could not consistently label as good, proper, or just? I think we might all struggle with this a little everyday - people don't always "behave" as we think they should! In most cases, God wants us to learn the grace of forgiving the offenses of those individuals with a gracious immediacy. It is unthinkable that God would allow us to hold onto the injustices of these individuals and allow the injustice to become a thing we focus our attention upon. As with the 'superheroes', we are deal with the injustice swiftly and with the right measure of grace.

It is quite possible to take a stand, yet there are those who would oppress or resist this stand for justice. There is the tendency of those who don't understand our "stand" and they use the action of attempting to put us down for that stand. There is a tendency for us to want to restrain any actions of others that we don't understand - our oppressors are likely doing this in our lives - they don't understand our actions, so they resist them. Their response to our moral excellence is conviction and we know that some don't like the feeling conviction produces in their lives! It is easier for them to resist, or restrain the actions, so that those 'ill-feelings' don't continue to niggle at them. They want to shut down the conviction!

Oppressors may be described as the godless. In other words, those that really don't operate by the same principled standards as outline in the Word of God. Therein stands the "rub" because we are pretty frequently surrounded by those with differing values. Their differences become most evident anytime we take a stand for justice. Our only hope for being "bolstered" or "encouraged" in our stand is the "backing" of our God as we stand! At times, the very best 'tactic' we can take is to wait for God to intervene even when we are growing weary in the stand. God knows our weariness - nothing escapes his view. Our oppressors don't escape his view either! He has a time and a purpose for his intervention. We must learn to trust him "IN" our stand for justice and the right. It is "IN" the stand we are made strong, enduring what others would flee from. It is "IN" the stand God meets us, grows us, and changes how our oppressors view US! Stand on! Cast your weariness upon the one who will lift you high! Stand strong! Hold onto his powerful hand through your oppression! God is changing how your oppressors are viewing you this very day! Just sayin!

Mooooove back to where you belong

God respects the choices we make. We can either choose our own path, or his. The simple fact is that it is OUR choice - and he honors it. If we choose to hang out in places or with people that present opportunities for compromise in our lives, we may choose that course of action. If we choose to be in the place where God can bless us, he honors that choice. This does not mean that we never "hang out" anyplace but church, a convent, or a monastery! God intends for us to be light and salt in this world. He does expect us to make choices that are honoring to him WHILE we live in this world and hang around with others in this world.

God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God.
instead, the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night. They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. Those people succeed in everything they do. That isn’t true of those who are evil, because they are like straw blown by the wind. Sinners won’t have an excuse on the day of judgment, and they won’t have a place with the people of God. The Lord protects everyone who follows him, but the wicked follow a road that leads to ruin. (Psalm 1)

God gives us the tools to help us make the right choices. The first "tool" he gives us is his Word - the Bible. We are to "chew on" the Word we receive - not just do a cursory 'fly over'. In other words, we engage in a process of meditating on it. Meditation is not something "mystical", but is simply a process of reflecting on something over-and-over again, until we get something out of it. Something that is considered that frequently begins to have an affect on us - it begins to 'get into us'. The second "tool" outlined is our "proximity" to God - a tree planted well can bear fruit! If we are not staying close to God - enjoying times of his refreshing - we will be influenced by what we are closest to at that moment in time. God gives us the ability to bear new fruit. Fruit is a result of the process of growth. If there is no active growth, there is no fruit production. Choices affect action. Action affects where it is that we end up (our location). Location affects the next steps we take - after all, don't they always say it is location, location, location?

Simply put - if we make the right choice, we manifest actions that yield fruit in the right season. Think about a small calf in a large pasture. That calf has many fascinating things that may attract his attention along the way: a butterfly flits about out of some bush and draws his eye; the strands of grass moving in the wind a little farther off might lure him for a nibble; the rustling of the leaves in a stand of trees could even get him a little spooked. As the calf is distracted by these things, it wanders farther and farther from the safe source of nourishment, protection, and sense of safety (his MOM). Soon, the calf is growing hungry and kind of concerned because he doesn't actually see his mom any longer. It begins to bellow out in absolute misery - calling for the security and nurturing of mom. We are sometimes like that - wandering away, in seeming innocence, then realizing that our wandering has made us miserably hungry, lonely, and with a deep sense of needing the security we once knew! As long as we stay close enough to the source of our growth, we are content. When we wander, we "feel it".

God has given us "feelings" as one way to "measure" our location in life. When we are not quite "feeling right" about where it is that we are at, the choices we have made, the acquaintances we have been keeping, it is likely that our feelings are pointing out the fact that we have wandered too far from the source of our nourishment and nurturing - from that place of absolute safety and security - God's protective arms. Remember this: The tree "planted" is the one that bears fruit! It isn't the tree uprooted, or the tree torn down by the winds - it is the one 'planted' securely, firmly, and committed in that placement. Just sayin!

Let's take a stand here!

Take a stand - what do those words really mean? To take a stand, one must have some form of footing upon which they will plant their feet - in the most literal sense. To take a stand may also infer we have 'grounds' for that which we are placing our trust in - such as having insurance on our savings account. We take a lot of stands in life - some very official and important, while others are more casual and kind of just spur-of-the-moment. In the most important category comes this heart determination to be on the Lord's side in all matters within our lives. There are certain lifestyle characteristics of one who has determined to stand with the Lord - unyielding in their commitment or allegiance. It has been said that if we don't stand for something, we will stand for nothing - pointing us to the important fact that what we "stand for" both determines our course and leaves a legacy for those that follow.

My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the LORD. (Psalm 26:12)

As we take this 'stand', we begin by asking God to test us and try us - examining our heart and our mind in all aspects. The desire to be tested by God is not something for the weak, though! It is saying we are not looking for the judgment of men here - we are not seeing if we measure up to some standard arbitrarily declared to be the "standard" we are to follow. We are asking God to hold up HIS standard for us to plainly view and then to make a comparison between our life and that holy standard. When we have that mindset and heart determination, we live above the various judgments of men - let them think what they want, God's judgment is all that matters in our life - the only thing that will guide what we take a stand for in our lives.

There is something powerful that happens when we give God permission to put us "on trial". There is a desire to have a formal examination of lives. It implies that there will be both a testing of the quality of the commitment, but also a determination of the value of the thing being examined. The value is something that is assigned after the examination is complete - like when we assign a "value" to a piece of property after it has been appraised. We are really asking God to affirm our usefulness in his hands - that God has a specific place and use for us. We can only ask for this type of examination once we have truly established our stand - once we have "trusted in the Lord without wavering". God is looking for the characteristic within each of us of being faithful. Our faithfulness is made easier because we have made God the center of our focus.We need both a heart and a mind that is free of vacillation in the choice to serve God - no hesitation in commitment, no second-guessing the journey.

There is great importance in living dependent on the Word of God - in taking a stand upon the promises contained within those pages. It is more than a familiarity with the Word of God that we need - it is an awareness of the Word of God and an adherence to what it says. When we have truth exposed, we have two choices - embrace it or reject it. A man or woman of God has made the choice to embrace it, no matter the cost. When we are "adhering" to the Word, we are first remaining loyal to the study of the Word. Then we are learning obedience to it - allowing it to be fused to our heart. Our starting point is in making the commitment - that leads to the willingness to be put on trial (examined). What gives us the ability to "pass the exam" is two-fold: We have trusted God for our right-standing with him, and we have opened ourselves to the adherence to all he asks us to do. Just standin!

Take this most seriously

The power of two - do we really understand or appreciate it? There is something most powerful that happens when two are standing together! When there are two, one recognizes where it is that one or the other is a point when that one can no longer stand alone. At that point, we reach out to others. In a society that values the strength and ability of an individual, this idea of 'partnering together' is seldom overlooked for the value it presents. In recent years, we have seen education begin to teach the concept of "teamwork" by having students do "team projects" to obtain their grade rather than individual reports. This is not taught so much for the benefit of developing the inter-relatedness of each other as much as the development of the "social skills" that allow people to work together for the good of the whole. In God's economy, there is a benefit in being rightly related - first to him, then to others that he strategically places in our lives. It is more than the social skills of teamwork - it is the strength of not standing alone.

"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." (Matthew 18:18-20)

Get together on anything at all on earth - the promise is pretty "all-inclusive". Whenever two of us get together on anything at all on this earth, God is there. The idea is that God never wants us to walk alone - he knows we need the strength of others - the physical hand, arms, and presence of another. The strength of their hug, the warmth of their smile, or the intimate "knowing" of their silence all serve to give us the strength to endure the present battle and prepare for the future one. God values when two stand in agreement - determined toward the same goals, living the same values, pursuing the same excellence. In that union, he is glorified.

And make a prayer of it - now we come to the crux of the matter. It is in the prayerful expression of our united stand that God is present. God gives us the one we stand alongside, not just for the hugs and moral support, but as a prayer partner, a helper in prayer. One who will take the burden we bear and lift it to the throne room of God - what a valuable treasure we have in one such as this. It is an honor to lift the needs of another to God - it is his joy to answer the prayer of one so committed to the other. We stand as more than just "moral support" - being a sounding board or a place to "dump" our stress and worries. We stand as "prayer support" for each other - a person who will do battle on behalf of the other.

My Father in heaven goes into action - that says it all! God sees the two standing in agreement, lifting the needs of each other, and he goes into action - for both! What more can be said? God in action is better than any solution two heads could come up with - and the benefits of standing together outweigh just one being blessed - both receive the blessing! Two hearts joined in prayer is the key that puts God's power into action. The next time you are tempted to stand alone, don't. Remember the "power of two". God's heart is "softened" and his power is placed into action by the prayer of those who stand united. Just sayin!

And don't for a minute...

Where does a warrior find strength? I watched a show this weekend about the great warrior chiefs of various American Indian tribes as they were being asked to sign treaties to no longer attack the white settlers. The thing that struck me was not just that they were fighting for their land, but for their way of life - they valued their beliefs, customs, and traditions. These included how they viewed and treated the land and the animals inhabiting that land. They were willing to fight for them. The warrior has a different kind of 'heart' and 'mindset'. The warrior knows what he believes, stands upon those beliefs even when pushed to give up on them, and trusts those beliefs because he trusts what is behind those beliefs!

And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed. Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take. (Joshua 1:8-9)

Joshua became the leader of Israel right after Moses passed away. Moses passed the torch on to him as he was next in line to get the Israelites out of the wilderness territory they had wandered in for long enough and into the Promised Land. He was commissioned with a huge purpose - cross the Jordan - get the people across safely and into their inheritance. It was finally the time for Israel to take what God had given to them when he delivered them from in Egypt. The promise to Joshua was pretty clear - "I'll give you every square inch of land you set your feet on". If that was not enough to get Joshua motivated to move into the land, God promised to be with him just like he had been with Moses. As a new leader, knowing you had the 'backing' of the one you believed in more than anything else was huge!

The "success" Joshua enjoyed in taking the land of Canaan was based on him keeping God's Word clearly before him and the people - obediently pursuing the revelation God had given through Moses. If we look at how this sentence is structured, we will notice that it is an "imperative" - it demands our attention and our action. There is an unavoidable obligation - keep the Word before you - practicing every word of it - none of it was to be neglected or discounted. We also see a tremendous promise or word of assurance that reminds Joshua that there is to be an order to the victory Israel will win. First, God will be in his right position. Then his Word would be the guiding force of their lives. As each of these were rightly aligned, they would realize success in their endeavors. This is definitely something we can learn. When we get the "order" right, victory is just the next step away.

There is something extra-ordinary in getting this right: God is with us every step we take. When God is in the right position in our lives (at the center of all we do) - the hunger for his Word is also there. His presence at the core of our being and his Word continually being turned over in our minds is certain to guide our steps. Joshua received two other reminders: Be strong! Be courageous! The strength here is not that of physical strength - muscular enhancement that just let him fight like a warrior. It is also the mental strength that would keep him focused in the times when defeat, not victory, seemed more like a possibility. It is the emotional strength to doubt his doubts and continue on in the faith that God was with him each step of the way. The courage of a warrior - the strength of a leader - Joshua was expected to have both and so are we. Strength and courage are based on keeping our focus right - God first, his Word constantly before us, and our steps will be ordered of God. We will do well to learn the lesson of Joshua - Be Strong! Be Courageous! The Lord Thy God is With Thee! Just sayin!

Armor is meant to be worn

11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. 12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing. (Ephesians 6:11-13 ERV)

It was Abraham Lincoln who penned the words, "Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm." Where we have our feet planted is an important thing to take notice of as it determines just how secure our stand will be in the end. I have planted my feet on occasion on more than one "moving stone" and ended up getting a little wet, muddy, or losing my footing all together. It is too late to consider your next step when you have already lost your footing!

One of the ways we determine our "footing" in life is just how well we are "secured" within the armor God intends for us to put on in our lives. If you have ever been in a museum or at a movie studio, you may have come across the suit of armor worn by someone, or used as a movie prop of some kind. The true armor of yesteryear was made up of some pretty impenetrable stuff - heavy metals that kept the wearer safe against attack, but also made it a little less than easy to move! The good thing about the armor we are told to "don" is that it not only protects us, but it makes it easy to move when we need to and stand firm when that is the best plan!

The armor we "don" isn't made of stuff that we can see as much as it is made of stuff we can sense and lean into when we are experiencing attack. The helmet of salvation, for example, can be sensed when we are receiving all manner of accusation - those voices that want to wear us down with thoughts like "you aren't good enough" or "you have gone too far to ever come back again". The belt of truth may not seem significant until we are faced with confusing choices that need to be sorted out, weighed in the balance of truth until we see clearly which choice rises above all the rest.

While armor is helpful to the warrior, the "everyday commoner" didn't usually wear a suit of armor in yesteryear. It was the knights, warriors, and such who donned such suits. In case you didn't realize it, none of us is an "everyday commoner" in God's family. We are all members of his army and as such, we are given the very best "suit of armor" to wear that both protects and defends us in times of attack. A soldier doesn't want to be "unprotected" when under attack, as much as we don't want to lose footing when we know to do so would result in wet feet, twisted ankle, or other not so pleasant results. To be "secure" we need to surround ourselves with the things provided to us that help us to stand as strong as a tall, immovable cedar. Just sayin!

A changed view

I stood up for justice and the right; don't leave me to the mercy of my oppressors.  Take the side of your servant, good God; don't let the godless take advantage of me.  I can't keep my eyes open any longer, waiting for you 
      to keep your promise to set everything right. 

(Psalm 119:121-123 The Message)

Taking a stand for something in life is probably one of the most telling things about an individual.  The things or people that an individual takes a "stand" for reveal the priorities of the individual, the values developed in life learning, and the importance one places on that thing or person in their life.  Our psalmist reminds of two things worth taking a "stand" for:  Justice and the Right.

Justice is simply the moral "rightness" of a matter or individual.  In daily choices, we'd say an individual is exhibiting "just" behavior when they are allowing "moral" principles to guide their practice.  There are just some things and individuals we should stand up for - - like the widow that cannot provide for her own needs after the loss of a spouse of many years, or the orphan left with no family to surround them with the love they so desperately need.  The "right" is any matter or individual operating in accordance with what is good, proper, or just.  Really, we cannot separate Justice from the Right.  They go hand-in-hand.  

It is so easy to stand up for those we "deem" to be exhibiting "moral excellence", but how well do we "handle" those in our lives that exhibit actions we could not consistently label as "good", "proper", or "just"?  I think we might all struggle with this a little everyday - - people don't always "behave" as we think they should!  In most cases, God wants us to learn the grace of forgiving the offenses of those individuals with immediacy.  It is unthinkable that God would allow us to hold onto the injustices of these individuals and allow the injustice to become a thing we focus our attention upon.

David tells us that he has taken a stand, yet there are those who would "oppress" him while he stands.  What he describes here is the tendency of those who don't understand his "stand" to put him down for his stand.  There is a tendency to restrain actions that we don't understand - - his oppressors are likely doing this.  Their response to his "moral excellence" is conviction - - and we know that some don't like the "feeling" conviction produces!  So, it is easier to resist, or restrain, what does not produce good feelings within us.

He describes his oppressors - - the godless.  In other words, those that really don't operate by the same principled standards he adheres to.  Therein stands the "rub" - - he is surrounded by those with differing values.  Their differences become most evident anytime he "takes a stand".  Now, his only hope for being "bolstered" in his stand is the "backing" of his God!  He says he will wait for God to intervene - - though he is growing weary in his stand. 

God knows your weariness - - nothing escapes his view.  Your oppressors don't escape his view either!  He has a time and a purpose for his intervention.  We must learn to trust him "IN" our stand for justice and the right.  It is "IN" the stand we are made strong - - enduring what others would flee from.  It is "IN" the stand God meets us, grows us, and changes how our oppressors view US!  Stand on!  Cast your weariness upon the one who will lift you high!  Stand strong!  Hold onto his powerful hand through your oppression!  God is changing how your oppressors are viewing you this very day!

Lifestyles of the Righteous - Part II

 ^11-12 You know I've been aboveboard with you; now be aboveboard with me.
   I'm on the level with you, God; I bless you every chance I get.

(Psalm 26:11-12)

Yesterday we began to explore the lifestyle characteristics of a man or woman of God - one that has determined to take a stand for Jesus.  Today, we continue with those character traits picking up with the sixth verse of this Psalm in which David outlines the company he keeps - joining hands with others around the altar of God.  He spent some time in the previous verses outlining that he did not have the same type of relationship with those that were in a position of being enemies of God.  Instead, he makes his company with those who have a broken spirit, yearning for the fellowship with God that he has come to desire by separating himself unto service for the King of Kings.

It is interesting that he begins this passage with the idea of cleansing:

 ^6-7 I scrub my hands with purest soap, then join hands with the others in the great circle, dancing around your altar, God, singing God-songs at the top of my lungs, telling God-stories. 

David recognized that his ability to fellowship with God and with those God had provided in his life was conditioned on maintaining a clean heart.  Nothing drives a wedge between us and God faster than entertaining sin in our hearts.  Nothing destroys relationship with each other faster than having disloyalty in our hearts.  David is picturing a group of individuals that have loyal hearts - determined to live obediently.

David is picturing a life of separation in these passages - separation from the world's passions and pursuits, separation from sin, and separation distractions.  He pictures unity.  A life dedicated to Christ is earmarked by the desire and ability to bring unity within relationships.  Living a separate life does not mean that we are all "walled up" inside our little world, absent and insensitive to those around us.  In fact, it is quite the opposite - it is a life of sensitivity to the need for showing another what the grace of God looks like by living out that grace in our daily lives.

Another characteristic emphasized in this passage is that of worship - there is a desire to be with God's people, in God's presence - to share in worship of the King of Kings.  There is not so much a desire to "go to church" as there is a desire to "be God's church" - gathered together in unity, cleansed of sin, and partaking of the presence of God.  There is something about being "clean" that gives us a sense of the "sanctuary" of our salvation.  God's presence is a place of retreat (refreshing), shelter (restoration), and defense (protection).  

The last characteristic pictured by David is that of being full of praise for God.  We often link praise with blessing.  When we are blessed, we feel like praising the one who has blessed us.  When we don't sense any blessing in the circumstance, we often want to curse the circumstance and often the one who initiated it!  We rely too much on how we feel, rather than relying on who it is that is with us - both in the times of blessing and in the times of leanness.  David is our example here - he did more than ask God for blessings in his life.  He frequently is found taking time to consider God's greatness, his grace, his many interventions in David's life - in doing this, he was "blessing" God.

The Lifestyles of the Righteous - the beginning point is in "taking a stand" for God.  The end of that choice is that of a blessed and assured life.  

Invited into Peace

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  (Romans 5:1-2)

One of the things I often remind people about when exploring scripture together is the use of the word "therefore".  This is a "joining" word.  It focuses us on what has been said up to the point that this word is used - reminding us that based on what has been presented, we can make the following assumptions or conclusions.  Paul has spent four chapters laying out the fact that ignoring God leads man into a place of ungodly pursuits and how God is not pleased with this behavior.  We try to get away with our sin, but God is not letting us off the hook - he has his eye on us, attentive to our every choice.  We try to mask the conviction of our sin with the pursuit of all kinds of religious experiences - thinking that if we look or sound religious, somehow this will appease the requirement for holiness that God requires of us.  

Paul was aware that there was a struggle in the church between Gentile and Jew.  The basis of the struggle was that the Jew felt superior to the Gentile because they were chosen by God to be his unique people - given the law, brought out bondage to their slavery, called his bride.  They thought this gave them a "leg up" on the Gentiles and constantly threw this up into their faces.  The facts that Paul wants them to remember is that the "works" of the law did not "save" anyone - it is faith and faith alone that accomplishes it.  Now, he presents the concept of peace with Jesus - gained through faith in the grace in which we now stand.  We no longer stand in "religion" or "rules of the law", but in grace (unmerited favor).

Therefore...or "since"...in view of the fact that we have been justified through faith....

Justified - proven right and qualified to become participants in the ownership of our inheritance in Christ Jesus.  We are now treated as righteous, all sin absolved through the work of the cross - not by any work of our own.

Through faith - we have come to a place where we have complete confidence in the promises of God.  We have more than a passing knowledge of his work on the cross - we have a firm persuasion, a conviction based on hearing that leads to a full acknowledgement of God's revelation in us.  We are firmly grounded on fact - the fact of the cross accomplishing what we could not in and of ourselves - holiness comes at the foot of the cross, not in the keeping of rules.

We have peace with God - a sense of security, freedom from all disquieting and oppressive thoughts.  It is gained through Jesus - we have an obtained advantage over those who have not experienced the work of the cross in their lives.  

We have access to God - a total freedom to obtain and make use of the grace extended to us.  Not just once, but over and over again.  Grace is needed frequently - it is to be accessed repeatedly.  Grace is the special favor, privilege, approval, and pardon of God.  It is his unmerited, divine assistance - just when we need it, right where we need it, just how we need it.

That gives us an ability to stand - in a specific position - occupying the "space" God has prepared for us in his presence.  To have this kind of assurance is something that people seek for all their lives in the natural, yet never find.  The peace of God - the freedom to stand in his presence - are both elusive to those who have not experienced his grace.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:11-18 that we were once without hope, but now are brought near.  That nearness to God is accomplished at the foot of the cross.  In coming near, he became the very peace we needed.  In that peaceful nearness, we experience the total access to God that the blood of Christ accomplished.  

If peace is eluding you today, perhaps it is time for a fresh visit to the foot of the cross - asking God to revitalize you today with the joy of his presence.