Spiritual Grit – Part 2

Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It’s not about us. Christianity is all about Him. Philippians 1:10 says that we should be conformed to the likeness of his death. 

Philippians 2:2-8 “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Spiritual grit is the nature of Jesus Christ himself. To become Christ-like is to serve others from a heart of love. Humility is the character of true spiritual grit. He humbled himself and became obedient even unto death of the cross. At the cross, we were reconciled to God through Christ’s sacrifice for sin on our behalf. Those who persecute others are held captive by the devil against their wills. This is why our exhortation is according to verses 9-11:

Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Jesus Christ is our access to God’s throne of grace. This is the life God called us to live. To reconcile with God and others within the household of believers, we must meet each other at the foot of the cross. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Therefore, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God that passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ. Therefore, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things.

He has called us as men and women of God, standing steadfast in His power ... men and women of true spiritual grit faithfully walking in fellowship with our Lord. As we align our thoughts with His thoughts and our hearts with His heart, may we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Spiritual Grit - Part 1

This week, Michael writes: True Grit describes a person who is firm and steadfast in mind and spirit. A man or woman of true spiritual grit is unyielding in courage in the face of hardship and danger. They have intestinal fortitude. They stand firm in the faith and is spiritually strong, courageous in his Lord Jesus Christ.

As men and women of God, Christ likeness is our goal. The book of Philippians reminds us of who we are in Christ. In this epistle of joy Paul exhorts followers of Christ to “rejoice in the Lord and again I say rejoice.” According to 1 Corinthians 5, “you are not your own ... you were bought with a price.” A man of God is God’s man and a woman of God is God’s woman. The most important thing is not who we are but rather whose we are.

Philippians 3:1-2 “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!” False teachers were coming into the fellowship of the believers and said that they needed to follow the Old Testament law of circumcision. However, Paul reminds them that true spiritual grit means that we are circumcised according to the spirit of life in Christ and not according tot he flesh:

Philippians 3:3. “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

Paul reminds them of his own credentials as a “Hebrew of Hebrews in Philippians 3:4-6 “ though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Paul had impeccable credentials according to the traditions of the Old Testament law. He was born into one of the elite tribes of the southern kingdom of Judah. In the eyes of the Hebrew religious leaders, he had a lot to brag about. However, Paul came to the conclusion that his earthly credentials were worth nothing compared to his credentials in the spirit of Christ: Philippians 3:7-8 “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Compared to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, everything the world considers valuable is “counted but dung.” 

Philippians 3:9-10 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

It’s not what we know that’s important but rather who we know. The important question is, “Do you know Jesus?” To know Jesus Christ is to know the power of His resurrection. Because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, we who have confessed Jesus is Lord have been raised in the newness of life. Since we have received the Holy Spirit through faith, He will open the eyes of our spiritual understanding as we walk in close proximity in fellowship with Him. When we walk with Him, He will take us through the suffering and endurance of the trials of life. To be conformed unto His death, we must die to self so that we can live for Him. According to Galatians 2:20, “I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 

Let's continue Michael's message on "Spiritual Grit" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian

Fullness of Life

2 Peter 1:5-10 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.

This world-wide pandemic has shaken this culture to the soul and people are waking to the reality of their Maker and seeking peace in this uncertain time. Isolation and solitude has shined a revealing and telling light on existential crazies, fads, trendy living and godless pursuits as distractions from what true living is all about. Over 3 million infected by Coronavirus and over 211,000 deaths world-wide, so far. As people look inward and upward, they find that spiritual disciplines have incredible power for the transformation of character, soul care and ministry towards others in need. Author Dallas Willard, in his book on the Great Commission command of Jesus Christ states that Any activity that is in our power and enables us to achieve by grace what we cannot achieve by direct effort is a discipline of spiritual life.

As we seek to know Christ by incorporating appropriate disciplines into our lives, we keep in mind that they are not ways of earning merit. But they are indispensable wisdom. Once we learn that grace (the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him) is not opposed to effort and action – though it is opposed to an earning attitude – the way is open for us to “work out” all that is involved in our salvation, not only “with fear and trembling” but also with the calm assurance that it is God who is at work in us to accomplish all of His goodwill.

Willard explains that many Christians are looking for ways into an intelligent and powerful Christ-likeness that con inform their entire existence and not just produce special religious “mountain-top” moments. Unless the interest in spirituality finds a foundation in the nature of human personality and in God’s redemptive interactions therewith, it will be at most a passing fad. The human soul is the fundamental but not the only component of the human person and life. The Soul (the spiritual, rational and immortal substance in mankind; that part of humans which enables them to think and reason) is an individual entity that has properties and dispositions natural to it. The soul is not a physical entity, yet persons do not exist without a soul. The soul integrates all of the components of his or her life into their life, one life.

Empiricism (aka positivism) arbitrarily specifies the senses or feelings as boundary markers for knowledge and reality. But it cannot guide us in the interpretation of knowledge and reality. The primary function was to replace religious orthodoxy with a secular, epistemological orthodoxy which creates the intellectual and moral chaos that rules society today. Biblical revelation is the true source of knowledge. When it is properly used, the Bible is a source of knowledge about the most important things in human life: the nature of the human being and its relationship to their Creator God.

Trite and True – Part 3

John 21:4-6 “But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

Pastor Kyle states that sometimes God wants us to hear things that may annoy us in order to gain a new truth. These seasoned fishermen had gotten skunked and did not want to hear someone ask: “How did the fishing go?” pointing out their failure. Then this random spectator on the shore as the audacity to suggest that these professionals do their job differently. Fish can swim, so casting their nets ten feet away, on the other side of the boat, seems ridiculous, but God has a reason for them to do this. It was because that little shift of the net made all the difference. In that moment, of a miraculous catch, the disciples knew that the shoreline stranger was the Lord Jesus.

John 21:7-13 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

It was a moment of changing human emptiness into Divine fruitfulness. So, what was it that Jesus chose to bless in this Bible passage? Pastor Kyle suggests that one of the things was the disciples willingness to be redirected. God loves to bless the easily redirected. Even if the truth seems a little trite, our response and ability to be redirected by the Lord through them ultimately reveals a lot about us and our character. Trite truths make God’s truth profoundly true again. Perhaps the most simple truth about God that we all need perpetual reminding of is of His love for us. Without God’s love, we are lost, wouldn’t we? Without God’s love, we’d never be forgiven of our sins. Ephesians 2:4-5 “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

John 21:14-17 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”

Peter may have felt that his decisions and actions denying Christ perhaps caused the Lord’s love to no longer apply to him. But Jesus made the simple truth of His love for Peter true all over again. Jesus asked three times of Peter loved Him in order to show Peter how much He still loved him and that He was going to restore him in Kingdom ministry. There is nothing more powerful than the restoring love of God. God’s love is our supernatural power. In Matthew 18:16, Peter’s confession,  “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” was a faithful revelation truth and emblematic of the kind of person and leader that he was. And the church has always been built on Peter’s confession of faith. Here is the point, God’s love was big enough to restore Peter, and Jesus’ love was big enough to cover Peter’s mistakes. Peter knew God’s love, but once he realized that Jesus still loved him despite what he had done, God’s love became true for Peter all over again. It resonated in a deeper way, more than it probably ever had before that moment.

Here is what Pastor Kyle wants to tell you. God is our supernatural power. If you feel powerless; because you have God’s love in your heart, you are powerful! If you feel worthless because of your past; because of God’s love, you are a worthy son or daughter of the Most High Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth! If you feel empty inside; because of God’s love, your life is full of purpose! If you feel unsure about the future; God’s says in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” May you find hope in the good plans of God today. May that which has become trite in your spiritual life now become true for you again in a way that your soul has never experienced before.

See, life without God is fruitless and empty, but life with God is fruitful and abundantly full, even in a pandemic. God’s love enables us to give and forgive. It enables us to move forward in paralyzing situations and circumstances beyond control. Pastor Kyle encourages you today to lean into the love of the Lord all over again.

In Christ, Brian

Trite and True - Part 2

Pastor Kyle continues that there is a circle we go through when we learn a truth, especially in a spiritual truth. When a person first becomes a Believer, the Holy Scriptures leap off the pages and lights the human heart. These simple and yet earth-shatteringly profound truths start deeply resonating in the heart. But, here is what happens. Somehow along the way, the more we hear something; those once life-changing truths can become somewhat trite, lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition. It can become something that we know is true in our heads, but no longer something that encourages is in our hearts. It stops scratching that spiritual itch. The earthly realities that we are experiencing don’t seem to line up with the heavenly reality that we read about in the Bible.

Does that sound familiar to any of you in April 2020? In only a way that God can, He can take those things that were once true to us and became trite, and He can switch them yet again to resonate so deeply, becoming profoundly true at a level that we didn’t know was possible. One truth that we need to know is that life without God is fruitless and empty. When we do not continue to allow the truths of God that we know to transform us from the inside out, even the most experienced Christian can experience this sense of emptiness and fruitlessness. Maybe you used to operate in His strength and power but things slowly and steadily drifted away. Now, you find yourself just living out the daily grind. Perhaps the truth that you know in your head feels somewhat trite and not quite as life-changing as they used to. Some may be physically productive but feel spiritually empty. Up until this virus hit the world, this scenario fits our society to a tee. We live in a world that is physically fruitful and productive, but is spiritually empty.

I am praying that many people who might never felt a need for God, would begin to seek God wholeheartedly. For some reason, this whole Coronavirus epidemic might have created the first moment in lives where they realize that they are powerless apart from God. Let’s continue to pray for this virus to get whipped out in Jesus’ name. And at the same time, trust that God is working through the pandemic that we are living through right now.

For those of us who know the Lord, perhaps the pandemic brings new meaning to the age old truth of the Bible an our own hearts. And for those who are still unsure about the things of God, the Bible and Christianity, let’s pray that this pandemic leads to a massive realization that life without God is fruitless and empty.

If you do not know God and the sum of your life is just “eat, work, sleep, repeat”, that would be so empty. I’m here to tell everyone who does not know the Lord that He love you and has a purpose for you today. God wants your life to be fruitful and abundantly full.

Trite and True - Part 1

John 21:1-3 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,  Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

Last Sunday, Pastor Kyle posted a YouTube video sermon, as the church campus is temporarily closed due to the pandemic plaguing the world. In finishing our sermon series in the book of John, it is now after Easter and a lot has happened since Jesus was crucified, died, was buried and rose from the grave. The Apostle Peter thought that his ministry days were done. He failed miserably and, in his mind, the prospect of God ever using him again was finished.

Pastor Kyle asked the audience, I wonder how many of you have ever been there in your life? You did something stupid and you though that your usefulness for God was over, so you go back to what you used to know. You stop serving in the church, you start avoiding church, then stop going altogether. You barely read your Bible, you sense yourself becoming more critical about other people, and before you know it, you just feel numb.

Anyone and everyone who has ever been there, deep down you really want back in. What’s really going on is that you are hurt. You’re ashamed and afraid. In the bottom of your soul, you want to get back into relationship with God and the kingdom work of God. You still love Jesus and know that He love you. You’re just not sure He wants to use you anymore. You’re hung up on something from the past that can’t be changed. The past is history. So, if that is you, then Pastor Kyle has great news for you today. (1) You are not alone, and (2) you are in great company with just about anyone and everyone who has served the Lord.

These disciples of Christ were professional fishermen and knew how and where to fish on the Sea of Galilee. They had built a successful fishing business there before meeting Jesus and their skills where top-notch. Have you been there in your life? I bet that a lot of us feel like we are there right now. We have desires to be useful, skills to actually make an impact and time to do it, but here we are, waiting around for something that is beyond our control to change. The disciples could write a book n fishing, yet somehow, all their knowledge wasn’t producing a single fish for them. It seems that it may have changed from a life-changing truth to a trite, powerless piece of information.

Let's continue Pastor Kyle trite and true message in the next post.
In Christ, Brian

Please the Lord

2 Corinthians 5:9 “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.”

A devotion that I read lately  said in this verse, Paul expresses the strong desire to be “pleasing to” the Lord Jesus Christ. It should likewise be our own ambition—whatever we do and wherever we are—to please Him. Psalm 19:14 has been the model for me and countless others, saying “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” When we align our will with God’s will, then God’s will give us the desires of our heart. This, of course, will make a difference in what we do and where we go!

Deuteronomy 6:17-18a “You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you.”

The Scriptures give us a number of specific ways in which we can be confident of pleasing Him. Our criterion should be pleasing Him—not ourselves. We are warned that “they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). That is, our thoughts and deeds must not be governed by worldly considerations. In Galatians 5:16-17 the Apostle Paul explains, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” The sin nature is within us, so we have to consciously align our will with the Lord and walk in the Spirit.

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

We must walk by faith if we would please the Lord. This is not faith in the abstract, but specific truth—faith to believe the revealed Word of God and to act on that faith. In Romans 1:16-17 the Apostle Paul explains, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” There is an obligation to the gospel. In 1 Thessalonians 2:4 the Apostle Paul explains, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God”.

Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.” May this be our prayer always.

Please the Lord.

In Christ, Brian

Pride of the Proud

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

The word “pride” here is defined as: an inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others. The late pastor . Vernon McGee states once that he was confident that many readers look at pride of life and says, “Is that all? Pride is bad, but it’s not that bad, is it?”

Proverbs 29:23 “A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.”

Actually, pride makes very little impression on us today, because we have lost our sense of the proportion of sin and our moral compress. We think pride is a nice, polite sin. Don’t good people indulge in this? You do not have to get down in the gutter to be filled with pride. Or do you?

Obadiah 3:1 “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’”

McGee explains to us, pride is the sin of sin! Pride of the heart is deeper and darker than any other sin you can mention. We do not condemn it, but God does! God Word says in James 4:6 “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Proverbs 8:13 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.”

A great many saints (those who have been sanctified) are proud they have been saved by grace! My friend, your salvation ought to make you proud; it is even something to brag about. It is something about which to glorify God. It should humble you. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself that you have to be saved by grace because you are such a miserable sinner? I wish I had something to offer God for salvation, but I have nothing. Therefore, I must be saved by God’s grace, receiving what I do not deserve, and I cannot even boast of that. There are too many folks boasting of the fact that they have been sinners. God gives grace to the humble.

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is

wisdom.”

The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” What kind of mind did He have? Lowliness of mind. He said in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek) an lowly in heart.” Pride is destroying the testimony on many Christians and has made them ineffective of God. They are not building on the foundation of Christ.

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

What Was God Thinking? – Part 2

Joseph oversaw the building of vast storehouses. For seven years a fifth of the harvest was collected and so much grain was stored that they could not count it all. After seven years the famine struck the known world around Egypt.

In the land of Goshen, Jacob said to his eleven sons, we’re running out of food but there is grain in Egypt. Go there and buy us some food so that we don’t starve. The brothers left for Egypt but their youngest brother Benjamin stayed home with their father. Joseph administered the selling of grain and he recognized his brothers when they came to Egypt because of the famine. He questioned them about their father the rest of their family. They told him about Jacob, their father Israel and their little brother Benjamin who stayed at home. Joseph realized that Benjamin was his full brother whose mother was Rachel. They told them that they had another half brother who “was no more.” Joseph went into another room and wept when they told him about his father and his brother.

The brothers thought that Joseph would deal harshly with them and that this would be God’s punishment for selling Joseph into slavery and telling their father that he was dead. However, Joseph forgave them and reminded them that the moral of the story is that what men meant for evil God meant for good. All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. God has a plan and a purpose for our lives to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Joseph accepted what God was doing in his life. Acceptance is to give favor and approval of what God is working in us and through us. We accept God’s will during the times of trial. The question we must ask ourselves is, “Does God really love us? Does He really have our best interest in mind? Is He really a God of plan and purpose?”

A loving father disciplines those he loves. He will make disciples through his discipline training. Correction means to restore to an upright position. Through the trial we will learn that tribulation works patience and patience works experience, and experience produces hope and hope makes one not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us. When we were “born again” into God’s kingdom, we were born into a new kind of life. The norms and rules of God’s kingdom are different from the norms of this present world.

Through the trial we will learn what Corrie ten Boom said, We’ll never know that Jesus is all we need until he is all we have. He is the first and last, the beginning and the end. He is the architect and purpose for my life. He was dead and brought life. No army can defeat him. He is goodness, kindness and gentleness. His way is right. His word is eternal. He is my joy, my comfort, and my all in all. He is the ruler of rulers and the leader of leaders. He is the Sovereign one; the Lord of all. He’s given all opportunities to praise him despite the trials.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it.”

The question is, “Do you know Him?” As we endure the pestilence of this hour and as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the words from Rev. S.M. Lockridge’s sermon are appropriate. Here is the link of the video of this famous message:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzqTFNfeDnE&feature=related

Your brother in Christ, Michael

What Was God Thinking? – Part 1

This week, Michael writes: As Children of God, we need good answers to valid questions. Why are we going through this present pandemic? What is God teaching us through this time of shared tribulation and adversity? What gives us patience, endurance, and hope through the crisis and the pestilence?

One type of prayer is supplication, a specific request for God’s help and intervention when we realize we can’t make it on our own. An Elder in an old southern church opened his prayer with, “Lord I hate buttermilk, lard and dry flour.” The pastor started to panic. He had never before heard such an opening to a prayer. Then the Elder continued, “However, when they’re mixed together and baked in an oven, I love old time southern biscuits. Sometimes Lord, I don’t understand the ingredients you’re putting into our lives. But when you’re through baking us in the oven, I love the results. You make all things good. Our ways are not your ways and our thoughts are not our thoughts.”

Romans 8 says that God works all things together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. God is a God of plan and purpose. Unbelievers look at things as coincidences. Believers look at things as God incidences. My times are in thy hands. They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.

God will teach us important life-lessons through times of trial. He works behind the scenes to mold us and make us after His will. God works in mysterious ways to show us that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis chapters 39-50 is a story of God’s deliverance and the purpose for His providence. Joseph was Jacob’s favorite of his 12 sons. God was preparing Joseph’s sons to become the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of the house of Israel. Even though Joseph was the youngest son, His father had given him a special “coat of many colors” as a sign that he was especially loved. Joseph had described a dream to his brothers. In his dream there were sheaves of wheat, one for each brother. Their sheaves bowed down to his sheaf. They thought, why should we bow down to our little brother? His brothers were jealous and plotted to get rid of him. While they were watching their father’s flocks, Jacob sent Joseph to find them and report back on how they were doing. As Joseph approached they said among themselves, “Here comes the dreamer. Let’s kill him and tell our father that he was killed by wild animals.” When a trading caravan came by, they decided to sell Joseph to the traders. They dipped his coat of many colors in the blood of a kid goat. When they returned to their father they said, we found his coat drenched with blood but we didn’t find Joseph. He must have been eaten by a wild animal. Jacob’s heart was broken because Joseph was his beloved wife Rachel’s only son.

Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s high ranking security officer. Potiphar trusted Joseph in all his dealings since everything that Joseph did prospered. Potiphar made Joseph manager and steward over all of his responsibilities and he was the administrator over everything Potiphar owned. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph but Joseph said, “how can I betray my master when he’s entrusted everything to me except for you.” She grabbed his coat as he fled from her. Then she accused him of attempted rape and had him thrown into prison.

The prison keeper realized that Joseph had an excellent spirit so he placed him in charge of the other prisoners. After several years two prisoners who had worked for the Pharaoh had disturbing dreams.. One was the pharaoh’s butler and the other was his baker. Joseph said that he could interpret their dreams by God’s revelation. The butler dreamed of a vine with three branches. On each vine was a cluster of grapes that he picked and squeezed into the pharaoh’s cup. Joseph told the butler that the three branches represented three days. In three days, he would be restored to his old position in Pharaoh’s palace and pour wine into Pharaoh’s cup. Joseph said to the butler, speak favorably of me when you are restored to your position. However, the butler forgot to tell Pharaoh that Joseph had interpreted his dream.

Two years later Pharaoh had two dreams that troubled him. In one dream, there were seven well nourished plump cows that came out of the river. Then seven starving emaciated cows came out of the river and devoured the seven plump cows. In his other dream there were seven full ripe ears of corn, then came up seven scrawny ears of corn that were shriveled and “blasted by the east wind.” The seven scrawny ears consumed the seven full ears of corn. The pharaoh told this dream to his wise men but no one could interpret it. Finally the butler told pharaoh that there was a Hebrew, a servant of the prison guard who interpreted his dream when he was in prison and the interpretation came true.

Pharaoh summoned Joseph. When Pharaoh told is dreams to Joseph, he said to the king, I will tell you the meaning of the dream but only the true God can reveal its true meaning. He said, the meaning of the two dreams is the same. The seven fat cows and the seven full ears of corn mean that there will be seven years of plenty in Egypt. The seven thin cows and the seven withered ears of corn represent the next seven years of famine. The seven thin cows eating the seven fat cows and the seven scrawny ears consuming the seven full ears of corn means that you should store up food from the seven years of plenty to hold during the seven years of famine.

Joseph said, you should store up one fifth of the harvest from the seven years of plenty. You should find a wise man to oversee the operation to build storehouses and appoint administrators to gather in the grain. Pharaoh said to his advisors, there is no one in Egypt wiser than Joseph. The Pharaoh appointed Joseph to be his prime minister. Except for Pharaoh himself, there was no one in Egypt with more power and authority than Joseph.

An Appeal to Heaven

Wikipedia states that the Tree Flag (or Appeal to Heaven Flag) was one of the flags used during the American Revolution. The flag, featuring a pine tree with the motto "An Appeal to God" or, more usually, "An Appeal to Heaven", was used originally by a squadron of six cruisers  commissioned under George Washington's authority as commander in chief of the  Continental Army in October 1775. It was also used by Massachusetts state navy vessels in addition to privateers sailing from Massachusetts.

The design of the flag came from General Washington's secretary, Colonel Joseph Reed. In a letter dated October 20, 1775, Colonel Reed suggested a "flag with a white ground and a tree in the middle, the motto AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN" be used for the ships Washington commissioned.

 Months prior to Colonel Reed's suggestion for using the pine, the pine was used on the flag that the Colonists flew at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775. The historically accepted flag has a red field with the green pine tree in the upper left corner. Provided Colonel Reed was aware of the Bunker Hill flag, there was a precedent to incorporate the pine in another Colonial martial flag.

Given the pine tree's significance to the Colonists and since the flag was to fly over Colonial warships, the pine offered an appropriate and ironic symbol due to it flying atop the very structure the British had sought to harvest the white pine for. The following summer, on July 26, 1776, the Massachusetts General Court established the flag of the state navy with a resolution that stated in part: "...that the Colors be a white Flag, with a green Pine Tree, and an Inscription, 'Appeal to Heaven'." A Christian nation that appealed to Heaven for Divine intervention because "In God We Trust". And always will.

Finished

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Last Sunday, Pastor Herk of the Little Church in the Pines preached how Christ’s finished work on the Cross at Calvary was just the beginning for what our Christian faith means. A number of things were finished at that Cross. All the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled, Christ’s earthly life was over, and the work of redemption was completed. The price of sin was paid in full because of what Jesus did on the Cross.

John 17:3-4 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”

Jesus gave Himself as the ultimate sacrifice so that all of mankind could be redeemed. Our Savior is our “Blessed Redeemer”. Jesus made seven recorded sayings that He spoke from the Cross; the last being: “It is finished”. We all have unfinished work in our lives and a trail of unfinished business of what we set out to do and accomplish; all except Jesus. In Greek, the word for the term “It is finished is (Τετέλεσται) “Tetelestai”, which was used to mean that something has come to an end, to complete, to accomplish or to finish. It is an important word because it signifies a successful end to a particular course of action that we’ve undertaken. It can also mean that we survived or did exactly what we set out to do. But, notice that Jesus did not say, “I am finished”. He said, “It is finished.”

Luke 19:10 “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Jesus had successfully completed the work that Father God sent Him to do. “It is finished” is the Savior’s  final cry of victory from the Cross. Jesus left no unfinished business behind. Everything He came to do was fully accomplished. His life and His mission came to an end together at that moment. But, what exactly was finished? God’s High Priest had laid down His life for His people; one sacrifice for all people for all time. At that moment, the work of redemption was complete. The death of Jesus provided (1) full satisfaction of sin, (2) a fatal blow to Satan, (3) a fountain of grace being opened that flows forever, (4) a fountain of peace was laid. But, that word Tetelestai is also a commercial word which means “the debt is paid” Jesus said, “It is paid.” Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus tells us in Matthew 26:28, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” With His own blood on the Cross, Jesus secured a place in Heaven for His own people. Ephesians 2:1,4-5 explains, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." The price of sin was paid in full. Jesus paid the price for our sin by His death. If you accept and trust Jesus as your Savior, every sin that you’ve committed has been paid. It is finished!

In Christ, Brian

Finding a New Normal

Jeremiah 13:23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.”

What does your normal day look like? One thing for sure is that this worldwide coronavirus pandemic has caused everyone to abandon their normal daily routine and take temporary measures to protect themselves and their loved ones. The number of infected and deaths is beyond imagination, the number of jobs interrupted or lost is staggering, the number of businesses closing is shocking, the amount of sports cancelled and entertainment venues shutdown is unbelievable, the financial impact is overwhelming, and the closing of churches across the country is astounding. All this and sheltering-in-place for months causes an “abnormal” lifestyle of anxiety, fears and stress to say the least. We all are looking forward to the end of this year’s flu season, the end of this deadly epidemic and gradually returning to some sense of normal again. Remember the good ole days? Many are working hard to get us there as soon as safely possible. In the case of this health crisis, we are not looking for a “new normal” in our life; we are just trying to find normal.

The word “normal” is defined as 1a: conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern b: according with a norm, rule, or principle. 2: occurring naturally. Normal is an interesting word because it is what you make of it in your regular pattern of life according to our norm. Yet, as the Jeremiah verse above points out, we can be accustomed to doing good or bad as our norm. Unfortunately, the normal inner life and the natural man is infected by sin, but there is a cure. Romans 3:22-24 tells us, “Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” When our lives are handicapped by sin, walking blindly in ungodly darkness and destined to failure, we need to find a new normal in Christ, the foundation to the abundant life God designed us for.

1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

May God grant the remission and eventual eradication of Coronavirus, that His church may get back on mission to worship together in spirit, for the saving souls and making disciples of all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let’s get our living back to normal from this current pandemic and get our lives to a new normal in Christ. Amen.

Brian

Finding Rest: Part 3 – In the Midst of the Storm

Michael continues his message on "Finding Rest", writing that people say that this pandemic is unprecedented. We had no warning of this “silent invisible enemy” and we have no defenses against it. Our national leaders have declared that we are now on a wartime battle. The resources of our nation have been mobilized to fight this invisible enemy. The Bible says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. Even though we have been blind sided by this virulent pandemic, God was not surprised. He knows the end from the beginning. From God’s perspective, this too shall pass.

In Matthew 11:27-30 Jesus said, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.   Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

What we all need is rest. Jesus said, come unto me all you who are weary and are leafy laden and I will give you rest. When we rest in Jesus, through his power we will be the reliable ones in this time of crisis. We have to voluntarily yoke ourselves together with the Lord.  He says take my yoke upon you and learn from me ... fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For Jesus said, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  

The Bible says we should walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the times because the days are evil.  We should walk precisely according to the path God sets before each of us.  A wise man said, “fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. Martin Luther said during the pestilence of the Black Plague, “I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely know where to find me.  And I have done what he has expected of me. And I am not responsible for my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me I shall avoid neither place nor person but will go freely as stated above.”

After a long and grueling day of ministry, Jesus said to his disciples, “Get in the boat, we’re going to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.”  Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat.  Suddenly a great storm arose and the rain and hail pelted their boat. The waves crashed over them and their boat filled with water. Even though they were seasoned fishermen, they were terrified and thought they would all drown. In a panic they woke Jesus said, “don’t you care if we all perish?” Jesus said, “Peace be still!” Immediately the wind and the waves ceased. The disciples marveled and said to themselves, “Who is this that even the wind and waves obey him?” Didn’t the Lord say that they were going to the other side? How could they not make it then? This is similar to today’s crisis. The waves are crashing and circumstances and situations look dire. The storms are out of our control. Many people are fearful of dying. We can look at the wind and waves and torrential rain and thunder and lightning that’s flooding our boat. The question is not “What’s in your boat?” The real question is “Who’s in your boat?” In the midst of the storm we look to Jesus Christ ... He is the captain of our salvation.  He is the author and finisher of our faith.

In the midst of the storm, Jesus will teach us that our prayer is not, “Lord, deliver me from the storm.”  Rather our prayer is, “Lord, deliver me through the storm.”  Through the crisis of the storms of life, including COVID 19, He will teach us the meaning of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Through the trial, He will teach us that our purpose is that we should be to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Finding Rest: Part 2 – Self vs. God

Continuing Michael post on "Finding Rest", he writes that men and women of this secular world who are dedicated to politics follow after political correctness, however their particular political persuasion defines correctness. Some say that the word “politics” is made up of two words, “poly” meaning many, and “ticks” meaning blood sucking parasites. However, the word “politics” biblically speaking is derived from the Greek word “polis” from which we get our English word “police.” In Greek, “polis” is the wall that surrounded the city-state. Ancient city were walled to provide defensive security from attackers. The “metropolis” was the area inside the city walls. The citizens were the people who lived inside the walls of the city-state. Citizens have a common set of rules that governs their hearts, minds and actions. Some rules are formal laws and other rules are defined by “mores,” commonly accepted customs that define a citizen’s “morality.”

The Apostle Paul said, bad company corrupts good morals. You’re most like the ones with whom you surround yourself. The Bible says that “born again” Believers in Jesus Christ are citizens of Heaven. According to Philippians 3:20, For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” He is the one who defines our political correctness. Some are men and women that identify as political socialists. They believe in “sharing the wealth” is for the common good. However, this concept of “commonwealth” is characterized by a strong central government where the leaders entitle themselves to uncommon wealth earned on the backs of the hard working people. In socialism, the working citizens do not share the common wealth.  Instead they share common poverty.

Some people of this world are narcissists. These are men and women who worship themselves. This God-rejecting world has indoctrinated us to think that we don’t need God; that we’re sufficient in our own power. Narcissists prescribe to the Devil’s original lie to Eve in the Garden of Eden: “Don’t worship God. Worship yourself. When you disobey God, you shall be as God knowing good from evil.” Some men and women identify as businesspeople. Their behavior and their heart’s desire are governed by the pursuit of profit and the accumulation of worldly riches. However, Jesus instructed us, “lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust dost corrupt and thieves break through and steal.  Instead lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, for where your treasure is there will your heart be also.”

Some people identify as addicts. Addiction is rooted in the worship of self. My addiction whether drugs, alcohol, sex, food, work, gambling or sports is to satisfy my craving for more. Enough is never enough. They need a continuous “fix” in order to function in this world. Addictions result from “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life”. Lust, the Greek word “epithumia” means “over desire”. Lust is anything we desire over our desire for God. This is why the first of the Ten Commandments says, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  In other words, God said you shall have no other gods between your face and my face (nothing blocked the view).  According to the words of the old hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Look full in his wonderful face. Then the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”

Regardless of how men and women identify themselves, God will use trials and tribulations to show the world that we are not in control. That which can be shaken will be shaken.  Recently, the word “unprecedented” has become part of our common vocabulary again. The worldwide pandemic of the Corona Virus has caused “unprecedented” disruption in the regular affairs of this world. Although the world is scrambling for solutions, the experts say the pandemic must run its course. Many will die and people everywhere must take precautions to mitigate the spread of this virulent pandemic. These unprecedented measures include banning of all social interactions at schools, work places, churches, parks, gyms, and even extended family gatherings. These unprecedented “social distancing” orders have caused disruptions in industry and commerce resulting in the crash of financial markets, commerce and employment as workers everywhere “shelter in place.”  

Let's continue Michael's message on "Finding Rest" in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Finding Rest: Part 1 - Courageous Disciples

Psalm 91:1-6 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.”

This week, Michael writes that the crisis is here. Oswald Chambers said, “When the crisis comes and courage is required, God expects his people to have such confidence in Him that they will be the reliable ones.” Courage is defined as: [L., the heart.] Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution. It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering. Where do we find courage? In whom do we rely?  In whom do we trust?

Pestilence is a virulent epidemic or pandemic that is extremely contagious and spreads without resistance through human populations. Individuals and populations have no defenses against its virulent attack. The crisis is here. Amid the pestilence of the Corona Virus, our bodies may be defenseless, but Isaiah 40:31 says, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount upon wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Jesus Christ drew a stark contrast between the enemy’s (the devil’s) purpose and the Lord’s purpose. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief cometh not but for to steal, to kill and to destroy.  I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” God will take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it to our good. 1 John 4:4 says, “You are of God, little children and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.”

Psalm 143:9 “Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter.”

The authorities have said that we should “shelter in place.” Our shelter is under the shadow of the Almighty. God alone is our refuge and strength. Because the Lord is our refuge and strength, Oswald Chambers said, He will break up the private lives of His saints (those who have been sanctified) so that they will become a thoroughfare for others to walk on. In our own strength, we cannot bear up under the stress unless the Lord is our firm foundation. We’re called into the fellowship of Christ’s suffering when we abide with Him and within His holy Word, Will and Way.    

God prepares our hearts through His discipleship training. A disciple is a disciplined follower and student. We will become disciples when we abide with Him and walk with Him through the trials of life. The storms of life are our training exercises to discipline us to “trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.” When we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths. God disciplines His disciples as they follow Christ. In contrast, Men and women of this secular world follow after the things of this world and the wisdom of the world. According to the book of James, the wisdom of this world is full of strife and contention against God and his word.  It is earthly, sensual, and devilish. In contrast, the wisdom from above results in righteousness sown in peace by those who make peace. 

Let's continue Michael's message on "Finding Rest" in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Live Peaceably with All Men

Matthew 12:25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”

It’s hard to think that there was a time from Creation until the Fall of Man that there was no evil, nothing bad, no darkness of heart … no sin. Since then godliness and evil, good (as defined by God) and bad, the light of truth in righteousness and darkness of rebellion, faith in God and unbelief, obedience to God’s Word and disobedience in the name of secular humanism and naturalism have co-existed as a part of the human race. 1 Corinthians 1:18 explains, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” It cannot help but be adversarial philosophically and spiritually as the reality is contrary and opposed – you can not be “for” God and “against” God at the same time. The exception is the indwelling Holy Spirit of the “born again” Christian Believe and the sinful flesh.

Galatians 5:13-18 “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The sin nature of the flesh inherited to all mankind from Adam and Eve exists in the mind, will and physical desires that control the emotions. In the regeneration of the spirit that died and separated us from God, we are given a new heart, transformed by the Holy Spirit in reconciliation through our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, until the glory of stepping from this life on earth to the eternal life in heaven or the until Lord’s coming, whichever comes first, the sinful desires of the flesh, the God-rejecting world and the devil are contended with in coexistence this side of glory. Why? 

The Lord Jesus explains in Matthew 13:30 saying, “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” God’s missionary work in the world is the ministry of reconciliation. The wages of sin is dead, so why doesn’t God carry out His justice. 2 Peter 3:9 explains, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God is love. God is merciful and gracious. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. That is God’s redeemed children’s desire and work also in this lost and dying world. The child of God walks in the Spirit with the light of the gospel in a world that walks in darkness that those who do not have saving faith might find forgiveness, salvation and reconciliation with God at the foot of the Cross, where the sins of the repentant Convert are nailed. Goal: Reduce the population of Hell.

This side of Heaven there will always be sin-based differences, but to reach the lost for Christ, as Romans 12:18 instructs us, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

Solitude and Silence

Psalm 46:10-11 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.”

When finding ways to be alone for “quiet time” away from talk and noise in devotional prayer and meditation, we are attending to soul care at a basic level. We rest, we observe, we “stop to smell the roses” and we do nothing but commune with the Lord. The late Dallas Willard states that in this quiet time we may even find another reminder of grace; that we are saved, justified by His redeeming power, not by our strivings and achievements.

Matthew 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

In drawing aside for quiet time, we seek to rid ourselves of the corrosion of soul that accrues from constant interaction with others and the world around us. In this place of quiet communion, we discover again that we do have souls, that we indeed have inner beings to be nurtured. Then we begin to experience again the presence of God in the inner sanctuary, speaking to and interacting with us. We understand anew that God will not compete for our attention. We must arrange time for our communion with Him as we draw aside in solitude and silence.

Psalm 5:1 “Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation.”

A response often is: “I don’t have time” or “I have too much to do.” The truth is that we don’t have time not to. No time is more profitably spent than that used to heighten the quality of an intimate walk with God. If we think otherwise, we have been badly educated. The real question is, will we make the time and take the time to so what is necessary for an abundant life and abundant ministry in Christ, or will we try to get by without it? God’s provision for us and for His work through us is adequate. We must stop shouldering the burdens of “outcomes”. These are safely in His hands.

Willard explains that God never gives anyone too much to do. We do that to ourselves or allow others to do it to us.  We may be showing our lack of confidence in God’s power and goodness. God’s power can be actively and wisely sought and received by us only as we seek to grow by grace into Christ-likeness. Power with Christ-like character is God’s unbeatable combination of triumphant life in the Kingdom of God on earth and forever.

Blessings in Christ.

Happy Easter 2020

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he maydie, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Happy Resurrection Day