Where are the Centurians? 4/30/2014

Eight Words 4/29/2014

¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father,  
Luke 15:18 (ESV)

So much said in very few words.  I wept as I read and realized the power and possibility in these eight words.

"I" and "my"-  God is the God of the individual.  Yes, He is the God of the universe.  He controls the wind and wave.  He holds the destiny of nations in His hand.  But He is, at the same time, intimately and passionately aware of and in love with me-- little, insignificant, mistake-making David Martin.  God has numbered the hairs on my head.

"will"- God is the God of right now.  I don't have to designate a time in the future to go to God.  No appointment necessary.  Now.  Immediately.  This very instant.

"arise"- Before one can arise, a person has to be down.  No matter how down we are.  No matter how low our station or actions, we can rise up out of the mess we have created and go to Him.

"go to"-  The prodigal son knew the way home.  He knew where his father was.  Our heavenly Father has not changed His adderss.  He has not skipped the country.  He is right where He has always been.  Standing there waiting for the return of His child.  Watching the horizon for my bedraggled little self to come dragging back.  No recrimination.  No accusations.  Just love, joy, and heavenly hugs.

"father"- One challenge with the anthropomorphism of God is that when we place a humanness on God, we are using an imperfect model to describe a perfect being.  No matter how wonderful a earthly father may have been, he can in no way compare to the perfection of our heavenly Father.  Then factor in all the fathers that have been absent, abusive, or antagonistic, the father comparison can become very misleading.  But picture the perfect father. Always there. Always loving.  Always ready to comfort, guide, and protect.  Couple this omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, you have a heavenly Father that is without flaw or fail.

Eight simple words.  Life changing implications.

"I will arise and go to my Father."

Everlasting Tranquility 4/28/2014

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

Psalm 121:1-6 (ESV) 

One great sign of the practical recognition of the "divine moment," and of our finding God's habitation in it, is constant calmness and peace of mind. Events and things come with the moment; but God comes with them too. So that if He comes in the sunshine, we find rest and joy; and if He comes in the storm, we know He is King of the storms, and our hearts are not troubled. God Himself, though possessing a heart filled with the tenderest feelings, is, nevertheless, an everlasting tranquillity; and when we enter into His holy tabernacle, our souls necessarily enter into the tabernacle of rest.

T.C. Upham

"Events and things come with the moment; but God comes with them too."  What an important reminder here at the start of another work week.  Stuff happens, but God is a part of that stuff.  Life happens, but God is there directing life.  There is nothing that will happen this week but what God is a part of it. 

Worriers - - Unite! 4/25/2014

² But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Psalm 131:2 (ESV) 

In direct opposition to most scientific research and anecdotal evidence, I say worry is a positive addition to anyone's life.  Here, I believe, are several irrefutable reasons as to why worry is a good thing.

1.  Extra Time-  You will have hours of extra time to clean house, wash the car, aimlessly wander the neighborhood, or worry even more because sleep will elude you.
2.  Diet Plan-  Think of all the weight you will lose because of the developing ulcer. 
3.  Solitude-  You will find you have more time to reflect and ponder life as your friends and family start to avoid you.
4. Increased Collegiality-  You will have much more face time with coworkers as you have to apologize and explain why you made such a bonehead decision or failed to meet a deadline.

Worry seems to be getting a bad rap in today's press.  Worry has so much to offer a person's life.  Worriers of the world -- UNITE!

If worrying was an Olympic sport, I might not win the gold, but I think I would at least qualify for the team.  

As I have spent time worrying about worry, I have noted a commonality about scripture and worry.  That commonality is that we are responsible for taking action to combat worry.

Psalm 131:2 -  I have calmed and quieted my soul
Philippians 4:6 - (you) let your requests be made known to God.
Matthew 11:28 -  (You) Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, . . .and you will find rest for your souls.

Combating worry is not a passive endeavor.  As God's chosen, we are to place ourselves in the position where He can assist us.  Meditation, prayer, scripture knowledge, Bible reading are all active processes that we should engage in on a daily basis.  God is faithful and true, but we have a responsibility and duty to do our part.

Whether it is fighting worry, seeking direction, or combating sin, passive Christians are defeated Christians. 

Is v Does 4/21/2014

⁴⁸ You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5 :48 (ESV)

¹⁵ As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
    when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Psalm 17:15 (ESV) 

To love God is to love His character. For instance, God is Purity. And to be pure in thought and look, to turn away from unhallowed books and conversation, to abhor the moments in which we have not been pure, is to love God. God is Love; and to love men till private attachments have expanded into a philanthropy which embraces all,—at last even the evil and enemies with compassion,—that is to love God. God is Truth. To be true, to hate every form of falsehood, to live a brave, true, real life,—that is to love God. God is Infinite; and to love the boundless, reaching on from grace to grace, adding charity to faith, and rising upwards ever to see the Ideal still above us, and to die with it unattained, aiming insatiably to be perfect even as the Father is perfect,—that is to love God.

F.W. Robertson

Perfection Not Required or Is that an Excuse 4/18/2014

¹² “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. . ."  Deuteronomy 10:12 (ESV)

While the list from the verse in Deuteronomy is daunting- fear, obedience, love, and service, there is no mention of perfection.  We are required to fear, obey, love, and serve with all our heart and soul, and while doing these things without error is the ultimate, we know that is theoretically, but not realistically possible. 

As I sit typing this, I am beginning to wonder if my "theoretically, but not realistically possible" attitude makes me bit less fervent, somewhat less eager to strive for perfection.  Paul wrote, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." Romans 7:15 (ESV)  In the 20th chapter of Numbers we read how Moses goofed at the end of his career and was forbidden from entering the promised land.  

I mean if Moses and Paul never achieved earthly perfection, why should I work strive for that goal?  Has the church today gone too far from the message of spiritual work, heavenly sweat, and holy heartache?  

If I fail to strive for perfection, what is an acceptable goal in God's eyes?  Three sins a day?  What about five at work (you know how they are at the office), four at home (the kids drive me nuts), and seven extra for the weekends (gotta' blow off steam).

Perfection not just in heaven, but also on earth, should be the sought for, fought for goal of each child of God.  Let's quit making excuses and start making progress.

More Than a Subaru 4/17/2014

⁴ Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
Psalm 40:4 (ESV) 

Every morning compose your soul for a tranquil day, and all through it be careful often to recall your resolution, and bring yourself back to it, so to say. If something discomposes you, do not be upset, or troubled; but having discovered the fact, humble yourself gently before God, and try to bring your mind into a quiet attitude. Say to yourself, "Well, I have made a false step; now I must go more carefully and watchfully." Do this each time, however frequently you fall. When you are at peace use it profitably, making constant acts of meekness, and seeking to be calm even in the most trifling things. Above all, do not be discouraged; be patient; wait; strive to attain a calm, gentle spirit.

--St. Francis De Sales

 When I first read today's verse, I had thoughts of composing a treatise on "blessed".  What does it mean to be blessed?  What are other scriptures that address this concept?  Then I read De Sales paragraph and realized that "blessed" will take on a different form for different people at different times.

Blessed might be a financial windfall when the car breaks down.  A new job offer might be the blessing.  Blessed might be the recovery from an illness.

What specifically spoke to me about the De Sales passage was how it draws attention to the fact that being blessed might be something as simple (but as necessary) as having a tranquil soul. Inner-peace is a blessing that I don't consider often when counting my blessings.  Perhaps it is because I so often allow life to disrupt that peace and tranquility.  I tend to consider blessings as material- a mechanically sound car; economic- a good job; physical- good health; or spiritual- eternal life.  While all these things are certainly part of God's blessing, inner-peace was not something I had included until this morning.

God wants to bless His children with all good things.  Why is it I accept His material, economic, physical, and spiritual blessings, but consistently allow the blessing of a peaceful spirit and mind to be hijacked by the events of the day?

Peace is a blessing and one that I am going to make a conscious effort to claim.

Peace 4/16/2014

²³ Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV)

"Peace"-  When I think of God's peace, I tend to individualize it to mean an internal peace of heart and mind, free from worry.  And there are many references to that particular application of peace. (Philippians 4:7; John 16:33)

Often times in the New Testament, writers refer to "peace" between not only Christians, but also between Christians and nonbelievers. (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14)

But when I read a commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5:23, another aspect of God's peace was highlighted.  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God makes possible a peace between Himself and us.  There is no more guilt, no more separation, no more condemnation.  He has established peace.  It is through a personal relationship with His son, Jesus Christ, that we may all be the beneficiaries of this peace treaty, written in and signed with the blood of Jesus Christ.

Evil to Good 4/15/2014

²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. . . Genesis 50:1 (ESV)

The verse from Genesis is a record of Joseph's conversation with his brothers.  They are afraid now that their father is dead, Joseph will exact revenge on them because they sold Joseph into slavery.  However, Joseph reminds them that if they had not sold him, he would not have earned the position and authority in Egypt to have saved millions from the famine.

Scripture is replete with examples of God's using "evil" for the ultimate good.

David slept with Bathsheba, another man's wife.  But it is through this blood line our savior, Jesus Christ, was brought to earth.

Judas turned Jesus over to the Roman authorities.  The result was Jesus death on the cross, but it was through his death and resurrection that salvation was brought to the world.

The world may deal with God's children harshly, but if we are obedient, faithful, and watchful, we can see the good He is working through the hardships.

One parting thought-  If you are going through a particular trial, first go to God with an honest, sincere, open heart and ask Him to reveal any sin that might be causing the trial.  Fix that first.  If none is found ask for wisdom, strength, and peace, then look for the lemonade. 

Keep in mind the lemonade might be days, weeks, months, or, in Joseph's case, even years down the road, but the lemonade is there.

Jesus' Wife!? 4/14/2014

Was Jesus married?  Unless I am missing something, I don't see any real importance to that question.  While I think it unlikely, given no mention of a wife in any of the Gospels, if Jesus were a married man, does it change any of the basic tenents of Christianity?

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/04/10/new-tests-show-evidence-forgery-gospel-jesus-wife/IusII8b4eI86HgDTKipLhN/story.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jesus-had-a-wife-say-scientists-as-ancient-papyrus-scroll-verified-9255110.html

The danger I see in this newest debate is that it will serve as one more reason for people to doubt the veracity of the Bible, and therefore deny Jesus as Lord and Savior.

I believe Satan loves the endless debates that will ensue as "The Gospel of Jesus Wife" picks up steam. 

Confession 4/11/2014

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.  2 Peter 3:14 (ESV)

Confession time.  Sometimes I just sin on purpose.  I know what I am getting ready to do is wrong, and I do it anyway.  Or when I get caught up in a situation, I am too stubborn to reverse my behaviors.  I am guilty of not "mak(ing) every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him."

I know what I am getting ready to say is not pleasing to God.  I say it anyway.  

I know I should spend my time in the morning in prayer and Bible study. I head out to work anyway. 

I know when I am getting ready to over eat.  I have that extra helping anyway. 

People talk about will power.  "I just don't have the will power I need."  "My self control is lacking."  "I just can't help myself."  It is not a will power problem, it is a pronoun problem.

Me, myself, and I don't have the willpower or self-control to ever keep from sinning.  It is only through allowing the Holy Spirit to control and direct will we ever have any hope of being "found spotless, blameless and at peace with him" this side of heaven.


Each hour of each day should be consciously given to him in prayer and supplication.  EVERY effort.  Remaining spotless, blameless, and at peace is hard work.  As Christ reminded his disciples in the Garden, "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt. 26:41 (ESV)  That is why we must offer our spirit up to him continually so that our flesh might be strengthened.

  

Sweat Can Be a Good Thing 4/10/14

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,  Colossians 3:23 (ESV)

Every duty, even the least duty, involves the whole principle of obedience. And little duties make the will dutiful, that is, supple and prompt to obey. Little obediences lead into great. The daily round of duty is full of probation and of discipline; it trains the will, heart, and conscience. We need not to be prophets or apostles. The commonest life may be full of perfection. The duties of home are a discipline for the ministries of heaven.

H.E. Manning 

Richard Carlson popularized the quote, "Don't sweat the small stuff" and wrote a New York Times best-seller around the idea.  Carlson's take was that most things in life are "small stuff", and we shouldn't let that drive us crazy.  While I agree with the fact that making mountains out of molehills is not good practice and can lead to a very unhappy life, some small stuff is very important.

As Manning points out, "little obediences lead into great".  Jesus told his disciples, "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much."  Luke 16:10 (ESV)  The chains of habit are created with links of "small stuff".

Five minutes of meditation on a Bible verse can lead to a spiritual ah-ha moment.  A sincere, but brief word of encouragement to a coworker may be what she needed to get through the day.  An extra $10 bill in the plate Sunday may be the amount necessary to reach one more lost person.  Not watching that questionable sit-com may provide the time for Bible study.

Small stuff, obediently, faithfully done are disciplines we need to be ready for the big stuff.  Perhaps if Christians spent more time sweating the small stuff of spiritual disciplines and leading a Christian life, our world would be in a better place.

I Don't Mean a Rolex 4/9/2014

⁴¹ Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  Matthew 26:41 (ESV)

When you say, "Lead us not into temptation," you must in good earnest mean to avoid in your daily conduct those temptations which you have already suffered from. When you say, "Deliver us from evil," you must mean to struggle against that evil in your hearts, which you are conscious of, and which you pray to be forgiven. To watch and pray are surely in our power, and by these means we are certain of getting strength. You feel your weakness; you fear to be overcome by temptation; then keep out of the way of it. This is watching. Avoid society which is likely to mislead you; flee from the very shadow of evil; you cannot be too careful; better be a little too strict than a little too easy,—it is the safer side. Abstain from reading books which are dangerous to you. Turn from bad thoughts when they arise.

J.H.  Newman


Watch AND pray.  

Watch-  Most of us know many of the situations that will cause us to struggle.  Alcoholics know not to go into a bar.  People addicted to pornography know not to get on the computer late at night.  But do gossips leave the water cooler when the rumor monger arrives for a cup of H20?  Does the husband/wife avoid that contentious topic when they are tired?  Will the compulsive shopper throw away the sales circulars before looking through them?

Watch out for those known weak areas and take preemptive steps.  There is no glory in stepping right up to the line to test your resolve.  God is not impressed with how close we can come to sin but not fall.  Watch---Avoid---Flee.

*Daily Strength for Daily Needs- April 9
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8534/pg8534.html

Right turn, Clyde 4/8/2014

¹⁰ The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  
Psalm 34:10 (ESV)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm 23:1 (ESV)

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Matthew 6:33 (ESV)  

It is with great reverence and trepidation I begin today's musings.   While not calling God to task, I do find myself with some deep-seeded wonderings.  

The scripture is replete with verses that directly or indirectly remind us of God's provision for not just our spiritual needs, but also our physical needs.   God clothes the lilies of the field; he will cloth us.  God gives the sparrows what they need; how much more important we are.  

There is no doubt in my mind that all I have earned, achieved, and accumulated is the direct result of God's blessings in my life.  Thankfully God allows me to continue to make enough bonehead decisions to remind me that left to my own devices, I would be unemployed, unloved, and unwanted.  It is only through His guidance, His love, and His discipline I have achieved any sort of success.

However, since serving at the Gathering Tree, I struggle at times visiting with the guests about God's provision and watch care.  People who, I believe, are genuinely seeking God and who are truly looking to Him for guidance come in each Sunday, pray. . . . . 
  
Let me stop and take a right turn.  As I was writing this, the Holy Spirit redirected my thinking.  As you can see from the text with the strike through, my original thinking was that those guest who were "seeking first the kingdom of God" were not having all these things added to them.  Then I realized I have no idea of their level of seekerhood.  I have no knowledge of their heart status.

I am doubting God's promises based on less than 2 hours of sporadic, surface contact each month.  How arrogant of me to assume I can glean in a casual conversation anything at all about a person's heart.

The Holy Word of God speaks time and time again about God's provision for His faithful, prayerful children.  If we find ourselves lacking, it is not due to God's inability or unwillingness to keep His promises.  It is most likely our lack of seeking and obeying.  

Thanks be to God for correcting my thinking this morning.

Hubris 4/7/2014

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (ESV)


"Crucified with Christ."  Nice of Paul to give us that much credit.  But really.? Crucified?  Nailed to a tree?  Suffered unimaginable pain and suffering?

Paul is, of course, speaking metaphorically about our spiritual crucifixion; however, most of us experience little spiritual or emotional crucifixion.  As Christians in America we experience little discomfort for our faith, let alone the pain, humiliation, and suffering that accompanied a crucifixion. 

Where is our sense of denial?  How many of us have truly suffered for God?  When is the last time our prayers have caused us to sweat drops of blood?

Of course, there is little to no chance any of us will be crucified for our faith, but does our personal sacrifice for Christ even approach crucifixion?  Do we experience Garden of Gethsemane agony for a lost family member?  Do we cry out to God in pain for the sin that lingers in our lives?

Our prayers are perfunctory.  Our giving comfortable.  Our sacrifices minimal.  How thankful I am to Jesus Christ for having the love for me and the obedience to his Father even unto death on the cross.

At Least It's Not Poisonous 4/3/2014

¹⁴ . . . But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.  
Deuteronomy 18:14 (ESV)

In today's verse, God is speaking to the nation of Israel right before they are to conquer new lands and peoples.  His admonition is specific to the seeking out fortune-tellers and sorcerers.  But in her book, Daily Strength for Daily Needs, Mary Tileson, broadens it to consider all the things our heavenly Father has "not allowed" us to do.

What an amazing, what a blessed disproportion between the evil we do, and the evil we are capable of doing, and seem sometimes on the very verge of doing! If my soul has grown tares, when it was full of the seeds of nightshade, how happy ought I to be! And that the tares have not wholly strangled the wheat, what a wonder it is! We ought to thank God daily for the sins we have not committed.

F. W. FABER

We give thanks often with a tearful, doubtful voice, for our spiritual mercies positive; but what an almost infinite field there is for mercies negative! We cannot even imagine all that God has suffered us not to do, not to be.

F. R. HAVERGAL

You are surprised at your imperfections—why? I should infer from that, that your self-knowledge is small. Surely, you might rather be astonished that you do not fall into more frequent and more grievous faults, and thank God for His upholding grace.

JEAN NICOLAS GROU

After reading the three excerpts Tileson included in her book, I realized that I had never given much thought to what God is providing me the strength NOT to do, say, or think.  How often to I walk away from that opportunity to gossip because of the Spirit's gentle nudge?  How many times has He helped me soften a response when I was agitated? 

Perhaps I am not even aware of all the times when I don't sin, but any growth I have made is because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

I love Faber's line, "If my soul has grow tares, when it was full of nightshade, how happy I ought to be!"  In Biblical use a tare is injurious weed.  While tares are never presented in a positive light in Scripture, it is not considered fatal.  On the other hand, nightshade is not only poisonous, but potentially lethal. The wife of Emperor Augustus and the wife of Claudius both were rumored to have used it for murder

As Christians, we strive for perfection, but must realize that this side of Heaven, that will not be achieved.  However, through the guidance and wisdom available to every Christian, tares and not nightshade are our challenge.

Take a moment and thank God for all things we don't do thanks to His indwelling.

*Daily Strength for Daily Needs- April 3
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8534/pg8534.html

We R the Temple 4/2/2014

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 
1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)  

Not man's manifold labors, but his manifold cares, hinder the presence of God. Whatsoever thou doest, hush thyself to thine own feverish vanities, and busy thoughts, and cares; in silence seek thy Father's face, and the light of His countenance will stream down upon thee. He will make a secret cell in thine heart, and when thou enterest there, there shalt thou find Him. And if thou hast found Him there, all around shall reflect Him, all shall speak to Him, and He will speak through all. Outwardly thou mayest be doing the work of thy calling; inwardly if thou commend thy work to God, thou mayest be with Him in the third Heaven.

E.B. PUSEY

 I had to read the above excerpt several times to fully grasp its significance.  As I pondered and prayed about today's verse and Mr. Pusey's passage, it dawned on me.  My very prayers and meditations about the paragraph were interrupted by my "manifold cares" which did indeed "hinder the presence of God".  An immediate and personal object lesson!

Even in silence as I was "seeking (my) Father's face", my thoughts, worries, and wandering mind thwarted my drawing near to Him.  If my mind can be so easily drawn away from Him at our designated meeting time, how much more challenging to focus on Him during throughout the day.

The discipline of my mind has proven to be the biggest obstacle in my spiritual growth.  Outwardly, He has given me the strength to curb, eliminate, or at least mask many of the actions and reactions that are unpleasing to Him.  But a disciplined mind--there's the rub.   I welcome any thoughts, tricks, or suggestions on how to discipline one's mind, especially during prayer and meditation.

*Daily Strength for Daily Needs- April 2
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8534/pg8534.html