January 29, 2015

Victimless Sin January 28, 2015

But It Is Hardly Credible That One Could So Persecute Jesus! 

¹⁴ I heard a voice saying to me. . . "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"  Acts 26:14 ESV

Am I set on my own way for God? We are never free from this snare until we are brought into the experience of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. Obstinacy and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit. Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set upon our own ambitions, we are hurting Jesus. Every time we stand on our rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Jesus. Whenever we stand on our dignity we systematically vex and grieve His Spirit; and when the knowledge comes home that it is Jesus Whom we have been persecuting all the time, it is the most crushing revelation there could be.

Is the word of God tremendously keen to me as I hand it on to you, or does my life give the lie to the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of one thing only—a perfect oneness with the Father, and He says “Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.” All I do ought to be founded on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that I can be easily put upon, easily over-reached, easily ignored; but if I submit to it for His sake, I prevent Jesus Christ being persecuted.

Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (pp. 19-20). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Whether or not Mr. Chambers and I always see eye-to-eye, his writings consistently make me think.  Today's entry from My Utmost for High Highest, is no different.

I do not agree with his statement, "It (obstinacy and self-will) may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit."  Is there such a thing as a "victimless sin"?  According to Princeton.edu "A victimless crime is an infraction of criminal law without any identifiable evidence of an individual that has suffered damage in the infraction. Typical examples include violations of laws concerning public decency or public order, and include the sale, possession, and use of illicit drugs, prostitution, trafficking in pornography, and gambling.  These laws are based on the offense principle, as opposed to the harm principle as opposed to laws based on the harm principle." 

Many Christians view certain sins in the same way.  Not praying doesn't injure others.  Rejecting church attendance harms no one.  Refusal to study the Bible is no one else's business.

We don't have any idea how our "victimless sin" will harm others.  Skipping morning prayer time in favor of ESPN's Sports Center may deprive us of the revelation God has for us in regards to an upcoming life event.  That verse we didn't read may have been the very piece of encouragement a coworker needed today but never received because that extra hour at the gym was more important than Bible study.  The hearth attack brought on by stress may have been avoided if we had been obedient to God's command of "be still and know that I am God."   Psalm 46:10 ESV

There are no victimless sins.  All our sin grieves the Spirit, injures Jesus Christ, wounds God.  But those sins also negatively affect people in a way we may never know.  The butterfly effect from our disobedience might remain hidden from us, but ALL sin affects other people and events.


http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Victimless_crime.html

After the A.M. January 27, 2015

As last year started to draw to a close, I set a goal of having 200 blog posts for 2014.  If you read my January 1, 2015 post, you know that I missed that goal by 1 post.  While not overjoyed at having been just one short, I was able to wax philosophically.

This morning I realized that all too often my morning blog posts were all too often the only substantial time I spent with God all day.  I found myself counting the number of consecutive days I had made an entry.  What pithy phrase had I turned?  What profound insight had I gifted upon humanity?

Many times at days end I could recall transgressions of the very nature my blog posts addressed.  Thirty morning minutes did little to guide, direct, improve the other 23.5 hours of my day.

In the January 27 entry of My Utmost for His Highest, Chambers addressed the dailiness of life.  "It is one steady encroachment all the time. . .these things will come in like a flood."  Life crowds in.  It quickly overtakes any a.m. revelation.  There is no down time.

But Chambers reminds his readers of a defense of the relentlessness of life-  "allow the Spirit of God to raise up the standard against it."  We do not have the strength to stand up against life's onslaught.  We do not have the wisdom to make correct life decisions.  God is not only able, but also willing to do all that and more for us.

However, we cannot expect that to happen with just a 30-minute morning escape.  Our days must be filled with short times of spiritual rejuvenation.  Thoughts must be turned toward our heavenly Father multiple times.

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble. 
Psalm 46:1 ESV

"Very present"  Right now.  Close by.  At hand.  God should accompany us out of our prayer closet and into our cars, offices, and classrooms.


Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (pp. 18-19). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Sparrows Don't Sin January 26, 2015

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

Matthew 6:25,26; 26-30 ESV 

These verses from Matthew are some of the most quoted verses from the New Testament.  So much so that perhaps the full implications of the verses are not often considered.

Jesus is pointing out to his disciples how God takes care of the flowers and birds.  A rose never has worry lines.  A tulip never tosses is its bed because of anxiety.  Robins never get grey hair (or feathers).  Yet they continue to survive and thrive.  However, they are never disobedient either.

Both the flowers and birds follow God's instructions.  They are obedient to their nature.  God's promise to feed and clothe us are dependent in large part to our obedience, or at least our sincere efforts and growth in that area.

A rose would not grow if planted in an arid desert.  A robin would not thrive if released in the Antarctic.  Likewise, if we live a life outside of our new nature in Christ, we will not thrive.

It is folly to expect God to provide for our needs if we consistently, willfully sin.  If our lives are not a reflection of His values and light, we should be anxious.  While Jesus does not specifically tell his disciples obedience is a requirement for blessings, it stands to reason that we cannot disobey God and expect His goodness.

God blesses the birds of the air and lilies of the field because they are obedient to the plans He has for them.  He will do likewise for us.
 

Look January 23, 2015

What Am I Looking At?

²² Look unto me, and be ye saved. . . Isaiah 45:22 KJV

Do we expect God to come to us with His blessings and save us? He says—“Look unto Me, and be saved.” The great difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, and it is His blessings that make it difficult. Troubles nearly always make us look to God; His blessings are apt to make us look elsewhere. The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is, in effect—Narrow all your interests until the attitude of mind and heart and body is concentration on Jesus Christ.

Many of us have a mental conception of what a Christian should be, and the lives of the saints become a hindrance to our concentration on God. There is no salvation in this way, it is not simple enough. “Look unto Me” and—not “you will be saved,” but “you are saved.” The very thing we look for, we shall find if we will concentrate on Him. We get preoccupied and sulky with God, while all the time He is saying—“Look up and be saved.” The difficulties and trials, the casting about in our minds as to what we shall do this summer, or to-morrow, all vanish when we look to God.

Rouse yourself up and look to God. Build your hope on Him. No matter if there are a hundred and one things that press, resolutely exclude them all and look to Him. “Look unto Me,” and salvation is, the moment you look.

Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (pp. 15-16). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Look unto me. (KJV)  Turn to me. (ESV)  No matter how you translate it, salvation comes from focusing out attention on God.  Certainly eternal salvation comes only from God, but also salvation from all of life's challenges.

I compared several translations of Isaiah 45:22 and not one of them was politically correct.

Depressed?  Buy more stuff.
Angry?  Yell and swear.
Displeased with your spouse?  Have an affair.
Anxious?  Have an other drink.

He is to be our focus.  He it so be our salvation.  He is to be our salve.

"'Look unto Me' and--not 'you will be saved,' but 'you are saved.'"  When we focus on God, our salvation is not a future event, but an immediate happening.  God's magnificence, God's brilliance,  God's love will outshine, overshadow, and overcome all the things Satan would place in our mind's eye. 

"Look unto me".  That's it.  Not "look unto me" and chant.  Not "look unto me" and attend church.  Not "look unto me" and tithe.  No. Just turn and look.  Stare deeply into His eyes.  Search the depths of His love.  Allow His presence, His majesty to engulf your total being.  Then you will be saved.

Reputation January 22, 2015

Recall What God Remembers

“I remember the devotion of your youth. . ." Jeremiah 2:2  ESV

Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Am I full of the little things that cheer His heart over me, or am I whimpering because things are going hardly with me? There is no joy in the soul that has forgotten what God prizes. It is a great thing to think that Jesus Christ has need of me—“Give Me to drink.” How much kindness have I shown Him this past week? Have I been kind to His reputation in my life?

God is saying to His people—“You are not in love with Me now, but I remember the time when you were.” “I remember . . . the love of thine espousals.” Am I as full of the extravagance of love to Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? Does He find me recalling the time when I did not care for anything but Himself? Am I there now, or have I become wise over loving Him? Am I so in love with Him that I take no account of where I go? or am I watching for the respect due to me, weighing how much service I ought to give?

If, as I recall what God remembers about me, I find He is not what He used to be to me, let it produce shame and humiliation, because that shame will bring the godly sorrow that works repentance.

Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (p. 15). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

"Have I been kind to His reputation in my life?"  What a poignant statement. 

In 2014, the Toyota Camry was the best selling car in the United States for the 13th consecutive year and the Ford F150 captured the top spot for trucks for the 38th straight year.  While many people probably did a lot of research about these vehicles, I imagine that just as many people purchased a Camry or F-150  just because both choices have a solid reputation of being dependable, long-lasting vehicles. 

A company's reputation, or good name, is an invaluable asset.  Toyota and Honda both have a reputation as quality vehicles.  General Motors products not so much.  Entire websites are now devoted to customer feedback for sales and services.  Yelp and Angie's List are two such sites.  Customers can praise or deride a company or individual on these sites and interested parties can read these reviews before making a decision where to spend their dollars.

As a result of these customer feedback sites, there are now sites that allow you to review and "protect" your online reputation.  One such site, Reputation.com will help a business or individual "look their best on the Internet by controlling their online search results because they frequently contain inaccurate, misleading, or outdated material which can adversely influence how web searchers view them."

If God were to get reviews from the people in our lives life based just on how we represent Him, how many stars would He receive?  Do our actions make Christianity a desirable life choice?  Are the choices we make causing people to consider a relationship with Jesus Christ?

So often we make decisions based on how it will be viewed by others, when the only real concern should be is how will that decision reflect on our Heavenly Father.  What will it do to His reputation?

January 20, 2015

Yeah, but. . .January 19, 2015

¹² “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12 ESV

There is just enough of my father in me that I like to find the "yeah, buts" in many situations.  When I read Matthew 7:12, a "yeah, but" came to mind.  Disclaimer: Since these are the words of Jesus Christ, I offer this exception with the hopes of evoking discussion, not disputing the words of my Lord and Savior.


So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them. . .

"Yeah, but" what about evangelism?  I don't want my Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, etc. neighbor witnessing to me over the fence about their religion.  But as a Christian, I am called to do just that.  This is one case where I would do, but not want done to me.

Are there other "yeah, buts" that come to your mind when thinking of Matthew 7:12?

Focus on Others January 18, 2015

As I was reading over the last part of the today's small group lesson in preparation for Sunday School, a question was posed by the authors, "What steps can we take to seek God instead of our own ideas for peace?"

Three ideas were listed: 1.  Read and meditate on Psalm 46;  2.  Spend a significant portion of time alone in prayer and worship;  3.  Get involved with a group or ministry that seeks to bring spiritual peace into the lives of others.

As I was thinking about the list, Christ's example in John 13 came to mind.  It is here we find Jesus just hours away from his betrayal which leads to his torture and crucifixion.  He is not holed up somewhere feeling sorry for himself.  He is not on the next camel out of town to save his own skin.  We find Christ breaking bread with his disciples and washing their feet.

Much has been written about the foot washing, but regardless of all the social and organizational implication of the act, just the mere fact that Christ was aware of his fate but was still focused on others is amazing.  In the next chapter, Christ is comforting his disciples.  In chapter 17, Jesus prays for his disciples.

Life for Jesus Christ is about to come to a horrifying, unjust, unimaginabley painful end, but his greatest concern is the peace, comfort, and salvation of others.  Even when on the cross, he reaches out to a thief, his mother, and his accusers. 

If we are to follow Christ's example, then reaching out to others during times of personal crisis seems like a pretty good plan.

Philippians 2:13 January 17, 2015

¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.  
Philippians 2:13 ESV

One of my spiritual pet peeves is how often Philippians 4:13 is misquoted or misinterpreted.  

¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (NIV)

¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (KJV)

¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (ESV)

The NIV makes the connection between verse 13 and the verses immediately preceding it much clearer.  In verses 11 and 12, Paul speaks about the states in which he has preached the gospel. 
¹¹ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. ¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. (ESV)

Paul is referring to these types of situations when he writes "I can do all things".  Paul is not referring to the ability to fly like Superman, make the NBA all-star team, cure cancer with positive thoughts, or the myriad of other situations where people may take verse 13 at face value.  

The 13th verse from Philippians 2 takes care of the misinterpretation of 4:13.  In Philippians 2:13, Paul reminds his readers that it is God who works in us, both "to will and to work for his good pleasure."

So often my prayers are God help me to Your will.  Give me the strength to what You want me to do today.  But it goes deeper than just performing God's will for my life.  God is working in us to even provide us our thoughts and will.  

My prayer should be "God tell me what to want, then give the strength to move forward in obedience."  Our prayers should be one of asking God to give us our thoughts.  "Heavenly Father, tell me what to think.  Tell me what to feel.  Instruct me in ALL things, not just my actions."

Psalm 37:4-
⁴ Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart. (ESV)

Most people interpret this verse to mean that if we delight in the Lord, he will give us what we desire.  To me this verse means that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, he will give our hearts our desires.  If He instructs us what to desire, then he will fulfill that promise.

While this might seem like a play on words, I believe it is a fundamental shift in how Psalm 37:4 is to be applied.

In the first situation, we delight, God gives.  In the second interpretation, we delight, God creates the desire, then God fulfills the desire.  

One instance has God fulfilling our desires, the other has God fulfilling his desires. 

In the Zone January 16, 2015

The Voice of the Nature of God 

⁸ And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah 6:8 ESV

When we speak of the call of God, we are apt to forget the most important feature, viz., the nature of the One Who calls. There is the call of the sea, the call of the mountains, the call of the great ice barriers; but these calls are only heard by the few. The call is the expression of the nature from which it comes, and we can only record the call if the same nature is in us.

The call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not of our nature. There are strands of the call of God providentially at work for us which we recognise and no one else does. It is the threading of God’s voice to us in some particular matter, and it is no use consulting anyone else about it. We have to keep that profound relationship between our souls and God. The call of God is not the echo of my nature; my affinities and personal temperament are not considered. As long as I consider my personal temperament and think about what I am fitted for, I shall never hear the call of God. But when I am brought into relationship with God, I am in the condition Isaiah was in. Isaiah’s soul was so attuned to God by the tremendous crisis he had gone through that he recorded the call of God to his amazed soul. The majority of us have no ear for anything but ourselves, we cannot hear a thing God says. To be brought into the zone of the call of God is to be profoundly altered.

Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (pp. 11-12). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

As I was reading today's entry from My Utmost for His Highest, the phrase "zone of the call of God" stood out.  When I read that phrase I was reminded of an image showing the illumination area of a set of car headlights.

Only things in the shaded area will be seen by the driver of the car.  Deer, opossums, and skunks are only visible when they step unsuspectingly at the last moment into the area bathed in the LED output.

As Christians we are most likely to hear God when we are in the "zone of the call".  Is this to say that God cannot reach out to us and be heard when we are outside of the zone and in the dark?  By all means, "No."  As King Balshazzar would attest God can reach out to any of us at any time.  (See story in Daniel 5.)  However, as Christians, the more centered our lives are in the "zone of the call" the more likely we will hear God's voice.  All the spiritual disciplines of prayer, mediation, Bible Study, and fasting keep us in that zone.

When we spend time in the zone, that is when we start to hear God's voice on a consistent basis.  Zone time provides us the insight, strength, and wisdom to not just make it through life, but allows us to be more than conquers.  The power of God is found in the zone.  The peace of God is found in the zone.  The joy of God is found in the zone.  The strength of God is found in the zone.

God's zone is always there.  What do we do on a daily basis to place ourselves "in the zone"?

January 15, 2015

Do You Walk in White? 

⁴ We were buried therefore with him. . . that. . . we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 ESV

No one enters into the experience of entire sanctification without going through a “white funeral”—the burial of the old life. If there has never been this crisis of death, sanctification is nothing more than a vision. There must be a “white funeral,” a death that has only one resurrection—a resurrection into the life of Jesus Christ. Nothing can upset such a life; it is one with God for one purpose, to be a witness to Him.

Have you come to your last days really? You have come to them often in sentiment, but have you come to them really? You cannot go to your funeral in excitement, or die in excitement. Death means that you stop being. Do you agree with God that you stop being the striving, earnest kind of Christian you have been? We skirt the cemetery and all the time refuse to go to death. It is not striving to go to death, it is dying—“baptized into His death.”

Have you had your “white funeral,” or are you sacredly playing the fool with your soul? Is there a place in your life marked as the last day, a place to which the memory goes back with a chastened and extraordinarily grateful remembrance—“Yes, it was then, at that ‘white funeral,’ that I made an agreement with God”?

“This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” When you realise what the will of God is, you will enter into sanctification as naturally as can be. Are you willing to go through that “white funeral” now? Do you agree with Him that this is your last day on earth? The moment of agreement depends upon you.

Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (p. 11). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

January 14, 2015

Plain, Brown Wrappers January 13, 2015

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:19-20 ESV

"Entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."  The message of reconciliation between man and God.  The salvation message to the world.  The ONLY true salvation message has been entrusted to us.  We who are broken.  We who are flawed.  We who are sinners.  The most important message ever has been ENTRUSTED to us.

I am reminded of the story of how the Hope Diamond made its way to the Smithsonian.  The Hope Diamond, which at 45.25 carats, is the world’s largest deep blue diamond is on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

In 1945, Harry Winston purchased the Hope Diamond from the estate of American socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean.  On November 8, 1958, Mr. Winston sent the precious stone to the Museum of Natural History via registered U.S. mail. The postage cost him $2.44 plus $142.85 for $1,000,000 worth of insurance.  When asked about his delivery choice, Mr. Winston is quoted as saying, "It’s the safest way to mail gems. I’ve sent gems all over the world that way."
  God has chosen to deliver His hope diamond, the Gospel message of hope, wrapped in plain brown wrappers.  The neighbor, the golfing buddy, the bridge partner, the concerned coworker, these are the plain brown wrappers to which God has entrusted His message of salvation and reconciliation.  Preachers preach, but friends reach.  It is up to us plain brown wrappers to spread the message of hope and eternal life.

January 12, 2015

Have You Ever Been Alone with God? 

³⁴ He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. Mark 4:34 ESV

Our Solitude with Him. Jesus does not take us alone and expound things to us all the time; He expounds things to us as we can understand them. Other lives are parables. God is making us spell out our own souls. It is slow work, so slow that it takes God all time and eternity to make a man and woman after His own purpose. The only way we can be of use to God is to let Him take us through the crooks and crannies of our own characters. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We do not know envy when we see it, or laziness, or pride. Jesus reveals to us all that this body has been harbouring before His grace began to work. How many of us have learned to look in with courage?

We have to get rid of the idea that we understand ourselves, it is the last conceit to go. The only One Who understands us is God. The greatest curse in spiritual life is conceit. If we have ever had a glimpse of what we are like in the sight of God, we shall never say—“Oh I am so unworthy,” because we shall know we are, beyond the possibility of stating it. As long as we are not quite sure that we are unworthy, God will keep narrowing us in until He gets us alone. Wherever there is any element of pride or of conceit, Jesus cannot expound a thing. He will take us through the disappointment of a wounded pride of intellect, through disappointments of heart. He will reveal inordinate affections—things over which we never thought He would have to get us alone. We listen to many things in classes, but they are not an exposition to us yet. They will be when God gets us alone over them.

Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (p. 9). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

HUH!? January 11, 2015

What My Obedience to God Costs Other People 

²⁶ And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.  Luke 23:26  ESV

If we obey God it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the sting comes in. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything, it is a delight, but it costs those who do not love Him a good deal. If we obey God it will mean that other people’s plans are upset, and they will gibe us with it—“You call this Christianity?” We can prevent the suffering; but if we are going to obey God, we must not prevent it, we must let the cost be paid. (italics mine)

Our human pride entrenches itself on this point, and we say—“I will never accept anything from anyone.” We shall have to, or disobey God. We have no right to expect to be in any other relation than our Lord Himself was in (see Luke 8:2–3).

Stagnation in spiritual life comes when we say we will bear the whole thing ourselves. We cannot. We are so involved in the universal purposes of God that immediately we obey God, others are affected. Are we going to remain loyal in our obedience to God and go through the humiliation of refusing to be independent, or are we going to take the other line and say—“I will not cost other people suffering”? We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but we shall be a grief to our Lord. Whereas if we obey God, He will look after those who have been pressed into the consequences of our obedience. We have simply to obey and to leave all consequences with Him.

Beware of the inclination to dictate to God as to what you will allow to happen if you obey Him.

Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (p. 8). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Hmmm. . . "If we are going to obey God, we must not prevent it (suffering), we must let the cost be paid."

All sort of thoughts began to rumble through my head at this line from Chambers' entry.  Gathering Tree.  Mother Teresa.  Celebrate Recovery.  Free lunches for school children.  It was a thought provoking line.

I wonder. . .
Was Chambers referring to those who had caused the suffering, not those affected by it?  Example. . .Parent spends family into bankruptcy.  They suffer the consequences, but still help their children.

What about Jesus' healings?  Were these excluded because the suffering was not a result of any conscious act on the part of the person?

How long did he intend to allow a person to suffer?  A alcoholic should never be accepted into a rehab facility since they choose to start drinking?

Should we EVER help another person whose life is out of control due to their choices?

Jump in with your thoughts no Chambers' entry.

Rats! January 8, 2015

Going through a tough time?  Situation out of hand?  Take heart downtrodden.

⁴ Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.  Psalm 37:4,5 ESV

There is your way out.  Delight in the LORD and all will be well.  Just a sec. . .   Hold on. . .  RATS!

⁷ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; 
⁹ but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

You mean the delight, the desires, the good stuff won't be immediate?  God requires patience?  I might have to go through this mess for a while?!

In my life I am guilty of holding God to the parts of His word that I most want to hear.  Give me the desires of my heart.  Act for me.  Give me my inheritance.

But I fail to claim the "wait" part of His promises.  There are times when the answers may be immediate, but more often than not, those answers to prayers lay somewhere in the future.  He may have a season of suffering, pain, and uncertainty planned.

³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  Romans 5:3,4 ESV

² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 ESV

¹¹ For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11 ESV

We must trust God to not only heal our afflictions and give us the desires of our hearts, but also trust in His timeline.  Our faith is strengthened by those blessings that are delayed.

I have the crying out to God part down.  It is the waiting patiently that gives me trouble. 

 

Happy Ending January 7, 2015

Yesterday's blog left the nation of Israel defeated in battle over the city of Ai.  This defeat was because of Achan's sin against God.  (Bit redundant.  Isn't all sin against God?)  Anyway. . .

The encouraging lesson from Joshua 6-8 is that after Achan's sin had been recognized and addressed, God told Joshua, "“Do not fear and do not be dismayed.  Joshua 8:1 ESV  God reassured His people that they were forgiven and blessings were once again coming their way.   By the 28th verse, Joshua and his soldiers attacked Ai and "made it forever a heap of ruins". 

The positive lesson is that once we confess our sin, God is quick to restore that relationship.  The cautions are:  

A.  Not all the negative things in our lives are a result of sin in our own lives.  Sometimes bad stuff will just happen regardless of our current standing with God.  
B.  Confession of sin and restoration of the relationship does not necessarily cancel out the negative affects of our earlier sin.  The Israelites killed during the failed first attack on Ai were still dead.  The soldiers' wives were still widows, their children still without a father.  While God will restore the relationship, He does not change the past. 

God does forgive.  God does restore.  But we must confess and correct.   

Ai January 6, 2015

Today's entry evolved as a result of the January 6 entry in My Utmost for His Highest.  In today's reading, Chambers includes a verse from the sixth chapter of Genesis that mentions the city of Ai.  I did a quick search of Ai and found some parallels between a Christian's life and the ancient city.

After the fall of Jericho at the hands of the Joshua, the Israelites were instructed not to "keep any from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it."  Joshua 6:18 ESV  However, we find in the following chapter that "Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel."  Joshua 7:1 ESV  

Shortly following Achan's disobedience, the tribe of Israel attacked the city if Ai and were soundly defeated.  Joshua, distraught, falls on his face and cries out to God about the defeat.  "Gloom, despair, and agony.  Woe to the nation of Israel.  The mean people are going to wipe us off the face of the earth!"

God's response is short, clear, and definite.  "Get up! Israel has sinned."  Joshua 7:10,11 ESV  Quit whining, ya' big baby.  The destruction is your own doing.  

What a lesson for each of us.  You cannot be successful if there is unconfessed, unaddressed sin in our lives.  God does not tell Joshua you "might not be successful" or "your success is unlikely", but "you cannot" be successful.  Disobedience brings defeat.  Sin results in failure.

God then tells Joshua, "You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you."  Joshua 7:13 ESV  Boom!  There it is.  The solution.  The fix.  The ticket to success.

It is also interesting that Achan's sin brought about the defeat of an entire army.  Because of Achan's disobedience, the nation of Israel "turned their backs before their enemies" in retreat.  How often does our personal sin affect the lives of others?  What pain and suffering has our personal disobedience caused for those around us?  

God revealed the problem, but what about a solution?  God did not leave Joshua wondering how to fix things.  He then told Joshua, "You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you."  Joshua 7:13 ESV  Boom!  There it is.  The solution.  The fix.  The ticket to success.  

If we find things not going well, failure at every turn, look inward.  Is there any unconfessed sin?  Is there willful disobedience in our lives?  Is so, confess and turn away from that sin.  Just as God told Joshua thousands of year ago, the same holds true for us today, "You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you."   

P.S.  All was not lost for the nation of Israel.  Tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story. 

Selfish Prayer January 5, 2015

³ So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”  John 11:3 ESV

How often do we pray selfishly?  Not intentionally selfish, but still with our self-interests in mind.  

Over this Christmas Break, Kristi and I have attended one funeral, made one hospital visit, and have one more hospital visit planned.  Of course in all these cases prayers for healing have been offered up.  In the first case, the healing was God's perfect healing, in the other cases, we are still awaiting the outcome.

Sunday school lists are filled with prayer requests for people to get well.  Cancers cured.  Pain relieved.  Hospital beds emptied.

But what if God's greater glory was to be served by a linger illness?  What if a person were to be brought to Christ by what he heard at a funeral service?

If the prayer of a"righteous person is powerful and effective", (James 5:16 ESV) then what if we pray for God's "good" but not His "best"?  Could we be working against God's best when "the prayer offered in faith makes the sick person well."  James 5:15 ESV

For a Christian, death is the ultimate healing.  Passing from this world into the next is a glorious journey to perfection, praise, and peace.  Believers leave behind suffering, doubt, and pain.  

When Martha and Mary scolded Jesus for allowing Lazarus to die, they were thinking of their own self-interest.  We miss Lazarus.  We are sad he has died.  We are upset.  Would Jesus have restored Lazarus had Mary and Martha thanked God for allowing Lazarus to be in heaven?  How would Jesus have reacted if praise had been given for the release Lazarus had received from his suffering and his transformation to perfection?

I am not advocating "death prayers" for all who are sick.  I won't stand up in Sunday School and announce the prayer requests for health and recovery are heretical.  But I do think we need to be careful of inserting our wants and will into our prayers.  Our prayers should be one of kingdom furtherance, not self-interest.  What will win people to Christ, not what will make us feel better.

Never the Same January 3, 2015

The Bible has been so many words to us—clouds and darkness, then all of a sudden the words become spirit and life because Jesus re-speaks them to us in a particular condition.

Chambers, Oswald (2011-05-01). My Utmost for His Highest, Classic Edition (p. 3). Discovery House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

As we move into 2015, I wondered if I needed to get another devotional to guide my morning times.  I have used Daily Strength for Daily Needs for the past 18 months.  Currently My Utmost for His Highest is one additional resource.  But perhaps there is an online publication or a old school book out there that would be a welcome addition.

As I was pondering this possibility this morning, I read the excerpt from Oswald Chambers' timeless book, My Utmost for His Highest.  Chambers reminds us that we will never fully know the richness of the Word of God.  Perhaps this month a passage from Matthew will reveal a certain truth.  But eight months later that same passage may hold an entirely new revelation.  "Jesus re-speaks them to us in a particular condition."

Supplemental materials may stoke the flames of thought and discussion, but those materials should remain supplemental, secondary, subordinate.  Lucado, Chambers, and Dobson should never replace Matthew, Daniel, and Paul.

199 January 1, 2015

Starting in late November I realized it was possible for me to have at least 200 blog entries for 2014.  In the five and a half years I have posted to this blog, my highest annual total was 158 in 2013.  So 200 was a substantial gain from 2013.

December 31 arrived with 199 blog entries.  One day, one entry.  No problem to get 200.  Right?  Wrong.  I had some work to catch up on so I headed out to work in the morning figuring I would get the 200th entry later in the afternoon.  Uh-oh.  Had to run to the store to get ingredients for the cheese dip for the NYE party.  Well, if I was going to stay up until midnight I needed a nap.  Then the dog needed a walk.  By that time all thoughts of 200 had left my mind.

When we got home at 12:20 a.m.- 2015 I realized my goal of 200 blog entries for 2014 was not possible.  There was a fleeting moment of disappointment, then I began to reflect.

Why was 200 so important?  199 is still a substantial increase over 158.  Was my salvation dependent on 200?  No.  Will I suffer loss as a result of only 199 entries?  No.

200 was an abritary goal that had no spiritual, financial, or physical reward or implication.

The more important question was whether or not those 199 entries were accompanied by quality times with God?  Had I grown in my walk with the Lord as a result?

Perhaps had I reached 200 it would have been my accomplishment.  Look at what I did. 

199 will help keep me humble.  199 will remind me of the reason I blog.  God knew 199 was what I needed.