Thursday, September 30, 2010

"Words Uttered"

In doing research recently on the Internet, I ran across a quote from a professing Christian teacher. He proposed that we can say to God anything we want, including the use of profanity directed toward Him when we don't understand or like His way in our lives. "God can take it" wrote the author, who also implied that such "openness and honesty" might actually be spiritually cathartic for us.

Certainly it is true that God can take it. However, we can't.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Proverbs 18:21).

Granting a blank check, as it were, to a tongue that is "set on fire of hell" inevitably ignites destruction and self deception (James 3:6). Any catharsis we may feel when we allow ourselves to vent to God or to others may be temporarily sweet in our emotions. But it is deadly to our experience of heavenly and earthly relationships. Words uttered cannot be reeled back in. They all bear consequences, to the degree that we shall one day give account for even those spoken that seemingly had no real meaning or significance (Matthew 12:36). The Creator and Sustainer of our being is referred to in Scripture as "the Word," and thus it is impossible that our verbal expression can ever be inconsequential (John 1:1). Little wonder then that the Psalmist besought the Lord to "Set a watch, o Lord before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).

There is never a time or place when we should allow ourselves to utter a disrespectful word to God. Doubtless we all have done so, although we may not have descended to the depravity of blasphemy mentioned above. If so, we can rejoice that in this elemental aspect of our walk with God, "there is forgiveness with Thee" (Psalm 130:4). The grace of the Lord Jesus redeems and restores fellowship with our Heavenly Father when we come to Him in honest contrition. Upon this basis, we then go forth with David's aforementioned prayer in our hearts and on our lips. "Set a watch, o Lord... keep." There are few more important requests because there is nothing more important than the capacity to speak given to us by God. Words are matters of life and death, and a tongue presented to Him and empowered by the Holy Spirit will consider horrific any expression of disrespect directed toward Heaven.

"The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself."
(Ecclesiastes 10:12)

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

"Gentle Unto All"

The stronger our conviction, the more gentle must be our heart.

"The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves" (II Timothy 2:24-25).

Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are called to confident assurance and earnest contending for Who and what we believe (Jude 1:3). We are to be "good soldiers of Jesus Christ," and "fight the good fight of faith" (II Timothy 2:3; I Timothy 6:12). God calls us to courageously and forthrightly affirm His Word in a world wherein much opposition awaits anyone willing to wage the battle of affirming the supremacy of the Savior and Scripture in a pluralistic, polytheistic world.

The necessity of such conflict may tempt us to believe that an aggressive attitude is necessary for the challenges we face. Earthly warfare requires such a disposition, and on the world's battlefields, gentle soldiers are rarely victorious soldiers. However, it is not earthly warfare in which we are engaged. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). We confront those who literally "oppose themselves" as much or more than they struggle against God or against us. Therefore, we face our challenge with a completely different perspective than the earthly combatant, waging our warfare not with aggression, but with the love of the Lord Jesus.

We also fight not for victory, but from victory. The Tomb is empty, the heavenly Throne is occupied, and the ultimate outcome assured. Certainly the skirmishes we encounter along the way are real and consequential, and again, our convictions are to be strong and courageously affirmed. True strength and courage, however, are always accompanied with the quiet dignity of the Christ whose brow is never furrowed with worry, and who never wrings His hands when pondering possible outcomes of battles. "The Captain of our salvation" has overcome the world, and as we look to Him, conviction and gentleness concurrently reside within our hearts (Hebrews 2:10). Any other frame of heart and mind disqualifies us from the conflict that must be fought with the love that seeks to sacrifice itself for its enemies rather than slay them...

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us... For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
(Romans 5:8; 10)

"I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
(Matthew 5:44)

"The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds."
(II Corinthians 4:10)

Monday, September 27, 2010

"The Divine, the Angelic, and the Human"

The Bible teaches that three primary classifications of personal and conscious beings exist, namely, the Divine, the angelic, and the human.

The classifications can be further divided.

Existing in the Divine, or one God, are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 1:8; Job 26:13). God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are spiritual in their essence and personhood, while God the Son spans both the Divine and the human. The Lord Jesus Christ is the person of the Godhead who became man, and the man who will always be God. "God was manifest in the flesh... there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 3:16; 2:5).

Angels are spirits in their personhood and essence, although the Bible does reveal that some of them may occasionally take on human form, as God wills (Hebrews 13:2; Genesis 18). Existing among angels are those who are faithful to God, and those who joined Lucifer in his rebellion, and who are now aligned with him against God. "Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word... the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (Psalm 103:20; I Timothy 4:1; Revelation 12:4). The angels are also divided into various hierarchies of rank, function and responsibility. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Human beings are earthly and fleshly in their original physical birth, but possess the potential for spiritual being through the Lord Jesus Christ. "Ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you" (Romans 8:9). The categories of humanity include the spiritually alive and the spiritually dead (those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and are alive in Him, and those who have not, and are "dead in trespasses and sins" - Ephesians 2:1). Believers, while equal in our personhood and standing before God, are also divided into various hierarchies of rank, function, and responsibility. "We have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness" (Romans 12:4-8).

We live our lives in the scope and involvement of all three primary categories and their subdivisions. The fact of God far transcends the angelic and the human because "in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). The person, work, and dynamic involvement of our Creator/Redeemer is the great fact of our existence, providing for us "life and breath and all things" (Acts 17:25). Our lives teem with Divine reality, although even the most godly among us presently "see through a glass darkly" and are thus able to grasp a mere portion of God's loving saturation in their lives (I Corinthians 13:12).

The angelic and the human also greatly affect both our experience of time and eternity.
Faithful angels are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation" (Hebrews 1:14). Their ministry to us is not specifically defined in Scripture to any great degree. Therefore, while we know it to be a present and beneficial reality, we are also aware that the involvement of angels in our lives is not meant to be a primary spiritual focus. They quietly and humbly serve the heirs of salvation, rightly directing all attention to the Lord Jesus who guides and enables their ministry.

Fallen angels are demonic entities that likely have far more influence in our lives than we realize, and their subtle ability to disguise their existence and involvement may be their greatest weapon. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). Again, we must avoid overmuch focus on these spiritual entities, but it is nevertheless vital that we acknowledge and respond to their existence according to Scriptural teaching. Great harm awaits any believer who fails to be "sober" and "vigilant" concerning the fact of malevolent spiritual influences that seek to hinder the glory of the Lord Jesus in our lives.

Finally, we are all aware that we live with our fellow man to our benefit and detriment, and to his. However, we likely do not realize this to the degree that we should. We are our "brother's keeper," and everything we do and don't do somehow influences others for the glory of God, or for the clouding of His honor and reputation (Genesis 4:9). The Apostle Paul referred to himself as "servant unto all," and the indwelling love of Christ in believers means that self sacrificial involvement with our fellow man is the firstfruits of authentic involvement with God (I Corinthians 9:19). "This commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also" (I John 4:21).

This is written as introduction to a theme we will likely address more pointedly in future devotionals. We must be aware of those with whom we live our lives, again, the Divine, the angelic, and the human. The Bible addresses all three categories, and we do well to grow in our understanding of each.

"Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise Him in the heights. Praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts... Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: let them praise the name of the LORD: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven" (Psalm 148:1-2; 11-13).

Friday, September 24, 2010

"The Daily Periodical"

As I ate breakfast today, I realized how much I miss the newspaper.

We cancelled our subscription during the 2008 election cycle because our local paper and its national news agency failed in its mission to report the news in so vital a matter. They were rather intensely partisan, and as far as I am concerned, forfeited their right to be known as a newspaper. Many other reasons could be cited for our decision, and my understanding is that we were not alone in bidding farewell to an institution that had once been a trusted and valued friend.

I had read our paper, usually while eating breakfast, since I was 6 or 7 years old. As a child, I first visited the sports section, then the comics. I even glanced at the news, especially when something momentous took place. As I matured, the news section became more and more important, and yes, as I matured even more, I began to look at the obituary page just about every day (I suppose, as Mark Twain said, "to make sure I'm not in it!"). I wrote many letters to the editor, and had quite a few printed (a few weeks ago, I had an idea for a letter. But then I remembered, we don't even read that paper anymore). Frances and I took up competitive Cyryptoquipping in recent years - between each other - and I even won every now and then! Old newspapers were also good for lighting the grill in one of those chimney starter devices, and few things are better for swatting flies. But all that's gone now, and it makes me sad thinking about it. Journalism is reeling in America, at least in the sense that many newspaper publishers and editors seem to have no concept of the time-honored divide between the news and editorial pages. Sad, very sad.

"For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89).

The shifting sands of a fallen world provide contrast and backdrop for recognizing the only truly solid ground that exists. There is a living Document that that will be the same today as it was yesterday, and the same tomorrow as it is today. It's Author is the reason - "I am the Lord. I change not" (Malachi 3:6). Read with a humble, trusting, expectant heart, the Bible is a daily periodical in the sense that the Holy Spirit is present within its pages and within our spirits if we have believed. He makes the manna of Christ fresh each day for our needy hearts, and rather than containing an obituary page, as it were, the New Testament rather proclaims the glorious truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, and that "ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God" (Colossians 2:12).

I miss the fact that our city no longer has a newspaper. I miss reading it at breakfast. However, the loss provides opportunity for remembrance and rejoicing that the daily news from Heaven is perfectly true, perfectly reliable, and perfectly faithful in declaring the doings of the God who "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11). I won't be swatting flies with it, of course, and I won't be losing Cryptoquip contests to Frances far more often than not. More importantly, I won't be shaking my head with exasperation upon reading about the strangeness of a world and culture that is beyond my understanding. The latter is surely a good thing, and reminds me that the Daily Periodical I will read each morning promises continual edification rather than exasperation, preparing me for the challenges of this life, and the glories of the next.

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."
(Proverbs 25:25)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

"Imputed"

We must either attain to perfect righteousness by our own determination and efforts. Or it must be "imputed" to us, meaning that righteousness is accounted to us apart from any actions of our own.


If we have acted imperfectly at any time in our existence, we are disqualified from the former possibility. Our only hope, therefore, is the grace whereby the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ is freely placed on our account.


"We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also" (Romans 4:9-11).
"Christ Jesus is made unto us... righteousness" (I Corinthians 1:30).


Because we have no hope for perfect righteousness, the God who loves us so dearly made a way to enrobe us with the pristine purity of the Lord Jesus. Christ Himself is the primary definition of righteousness in God's sight. We must either be exactly like Him in character, nature, and way. Or, we must have His merits freely imputed to us as the freest of all gifts. The former is impossible; the latter is the Gospel.


"And lest the shadow of a spot should on my soul be found, He took the robe my Savior wrought and cast it all around!" (Isaac Watts).


The more we know the extent to which we have been justified in the sight of God, the more our thoughts, attitudes, words, and deeds will reflect the glorious reality. We will be in expression who we are in the essence of our person. Our spiritual enemies are well aware of this dynamic of God's grace revealed through faith, and thus seek to hinder our knowledge and application of the redemption that God has already effected in the innermost depths of our being. "Now are ye light in the Lord" declared the Apostle Paul of our Christ-inhabited spiritual personhood. "Walk as children of light" adds Paul, that is, "Be in expression who you are in essence" (Ephesians 5:8).


There is no greater adventure or challenge in life than to increasingly believe and act upon the truth of Whose we are, and who we are. The world, the devil, and the flesh constantly array to do battle with every believer in the attempt to enshroud the bright flame of Christ that burns upon the candle of our spirits (Proverbs 20:27). Indeed, let us still ourselves and ponder for just a moment that the Lord Jesus is present and alive in our trusting hearts. God the Father looks at us, and through the weakness, imperfection, and foibles of our flesh, sees His Son united to us. "He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (I Corinthians 6:17). He made the Lord Jesus to be our righteousness, even to the degree that He "will not impute sin" to us because He imputed them all to Christ when He died on the cross (Romans 4:8). This we must know and believe, and this our enemies fight tooth and nail because they know the bludgeoning they will receive if we obey our Heavenly Father in reckoning ourselves to be "alive unto God" (Romans 6:11).


Long before we were born, the Lord Jesus had died in order to save us from our sins. Until we believed, however, we did not know or experience the benefits of the new birth that subsequently changed our lives. In the same manner, a life of authentic and vibrant godliness awaits our response to the truth that we are "accepted in the Beloved," and that the Beloved is dynamically present within us (Ephesians 1:6). As we believe and submit unto this fact of our redeemed being, we will more and more consistently walk out "the hope of glory, which is Christ in you" (Colossians 1:27). May God illuminate our hearts as the children of light we are, and may our steps be found revealing His gift of righteousness so freely given...


"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
(Galatians 5:25)

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

"How Is It?

"There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:7-9).


The Samaritans were the product of intermarriage between dispersed Jews and their pagan captors centuries before the Lord Jesus Christ met and conversed with the woman at the well. Thus, they were considered to be a mongrel people by the Jews, and despised and avoided.


The Lord Jesus nevertheless related to the woman, placing Himself in a position of need before her. She had access to water, and the means to secure it. He was thirsty. Clearly orchestrated by God, this led to unexpected discourse between the Savior and one whom few would have expected Him to touch. Humility led to relationship, which ultimately led to faith not only in the Samaritan woman, but among many of her people. "Many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman" (John 4:39).


We should all be amazed that the Lord Jesus would involve Himself in our lives. If we are honest about ourselves and our history, the stark truth is that rejection rather than relationship should be our portion from God. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Isaiah 59:2). We are all a "mongrel people" in the sense that we rightly belong to our Creator, but we have all "went a whoring after other gods" (Judges 2:17). As the woman asked, "How is it?," that is, "Why are You having anything at all to do with me?!"


If we have believed, and if have read and studied the New Testament, we doctrinally know why the Jesus has so fully immersed Himself in our lives. It's simply who He is, and what He does as our Creator, and as our most merciful Redeemer. However, the basic attitude of "How is it?" should never leave us. Deserving of utter rejection, born again believers have nevertheless become "accepted in the Beloved," and spiritually birthed into living relationship with God as "dear children" (Ephesians 1:6; 5:1). If we are thinking rightly, the wonder of it all will never leave us, and as with the woman at the well, our testimony of the most magnanimous mercy will not simply remain in our own hearts. We will powerfully influence others who need the same grace of "How is it?"


Sometimes believers say to each other, "When we get to Heaven, we'll likely be surprised by some people who are there." Maybe, but the greater wonder in all our hearts should be the fact that if we have believed, we ourselves will be there! Shocking! All others we know from afar, in relative terms. But we know ourselves intimately, and we know that God could rightly "have no dealings" with us. This is not the case, however, and at the highest cost to Himself, He united Himself with us in an eternal bond of loving devotion. It is who He is, and it is what He does. Eternity will not be long enough to express our grateful amazement, but this moment offers opportunity to once again wonder with bewildered gratitude, "How is it?"


"Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?"
(II Samuel 9:6-8)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

"But the Heart"

We rarely see immediate answers to our prayers. Some answers we never see. And some prayers are never answered - thankfully - "because ye ask amiss, that ye many consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3).


Prayer is therefore not for the half-hearted, nor is it for those who must see in order to believe and persevere in seeking the heart and hand of God. Consistent prayerfulness rather characterizes those who increasingly discover the faithfulness of One who "cannot lie," and who will ultimately fulfill every promise He ever makes (Titus 1:2). We pray to the degree our hearts are convinced of this perfect trustworthiness. Conversely, prayerlessness can always be traced back to a deficit in our knowledge and apprehension of "the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:9).


"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Consistent reading, consideration, and application of the Scriptures confirms within our hearts confidence in our Lord's truth and truthfulness. Prayer inevitably results from such Light shining within us. It matters not whether we see obvious answers with our senses because our primary attention is devoted to the Heart that along ago promised to the faithful, "Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not" (Jeremiah 33:3). Our focus is on the great and mighty God who promised the "great and mighty things." Whether they manifest quickly, slowly, or even if the answers will not be seen until we get to Heaven, the issue of prayer revolves not around the things, but the Heart. It is full to the brim of Truth, and no one has ever trusted in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and been disappointed for doing so. And no one ever will. Upon this basis we pray, rejoicing when we see God's answers, and joining the prophet of old when no outward evidence seems to be forthcoming...


"Moses endured, as seeing Him who is invisible."
(Hebrews 11:27)

Monday, September 20, 2010

"Safely Led"

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment" (I John 4:18).

Difficulty in overcoming fears, be they minor insecurities or overwhelming dread, can always be traced back to inadequate knowledge of the "perfect love" of God. Torment dissolves when we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and when the heart of God's devotion is revealed to us, in us, and through us.

After sin, Adam and Eve fearfully hid in the trees from the One who loved them (Genesis 3:10). Unbelief and disobedience distorted the perceptions of our original forefathers, and the darkness passed down to all their offspring. Rather than complete confidence in our Heavenly Father's promised care and working of all things together for our good, we are strongly tempted to perceive that we must control our own existence. We have no real capacity for doing so, however, and the delusion of independence enshrouds us with a pervading sense of danger and doom until we trust in the Lord Jesus. He alone can enable a life of "faith, which worketh by love," and thus an existence in which the affectionate and dedicated heart of God more and more fills us with assurance rather than trepidation (Galatians 5:6).

If we have believed in the Lord Jesus, let us be sure of the devotion of Divine love: God takes care of His own. "He led them on safely so that they feared not" (Psalm 78:53). "Safely" does not mean the absence of danger, but rather the promise of God that He will carry us through any and everything He determines or allows in our lives. Temptations to fear, in whatever form, raise the question within, "What if?" "What if this happens, or that? Or what if this or that doesn't happen?" For the believer, the answer is always "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10). The Lord Jesus will always be everything we need for every contingency of our lives. His perfect love is the great reality of our existence, and the torment of insecurities, trepidations, and outright fear dissolves upon remembrance of God's devotion to our well being...

"Safety is of the Lord."
(Proverbs 21:31)
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
(II Timothy 1:7)

Friday, September 17, 2010

"Faithful and True"


Thirty five years ago today, on September 17, 1975, I became a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.



On that day, a dear friend who had shared Christ with me for several years once again proclaimed to me "the old, old story." This time I believed, and I can honestly say that life has never been the same since that day. I can also say that I should be much, much further down the path of righteousness, and that much wasted time and opportunity characterize my three and a half decades of knowing the Lord Jesus. Far too often I have distrusted and disobeyed God, and perhaps even worse, far too often I had simply neglected the wonder of His freely given presence in my life.



Never, however, has the Lord neglected me, and never has He violated His promised purpose and working in my life. "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). An author whom I much respect, when retiring from his seminary teaching position, was asked, "Professor, how do you want to be remembered?" Without hesitating, he responded, "That I had an incredibly patient, gracious, and merciful Lord." I love that, and feel the same way today after so many years of knowing our Lord. I look at my frequently faulty response to God's amazing kindness, and at my frequently non-existent response. The consideration would be depressing except for the "incredibly patient, gracious, and merciful Lord" who is so devoted to His problem child that He won't give up on me. "If we believe not, He abideth faithful" (II Timothy 2:13). Oh yes He does, yes He does.



No one has ever trusted in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and been disappointed for doing so. And no one ever will. There is somebody to trust in this life, and in the next. "I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True" (Revelation 19:11). I have a good friend who occasionally asks, "Glen, how are you doing spiritually?" It's a fair question, but I have never quite known how to answer it, until right now. Indeed, as this day begins and I reflect on thirty five years, I realize that how I am doing spiritually often changes at the drop of a hat. However, how God is doing spiritually never changes. "I am the Lord. I change not" (Malachi 3:6). And that's the issue, isn't it? He is the issue. "He abideth faithful" have characterized these thirty five years, and it has been a beautiful journey of discovering that no one has ever trusted in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and been disappointed for doing so. And no one ever will.



"Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds."

(Psalm 36:5)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

"Through the Pasture, To the Pulpit"

One of the most important things we can pray for our pastors is that they will recognize and fulfill their God-called responsibility of availability to the people whom He entrusts to their care.


In the original language of Scripture, the word pastor means shepherd. Involvement is the primary duty of shepherds. In Biblical days, shepherds lived with their flock, and so closely bonded to their sheep that they literally smelled like them. Just as the Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, became the Lamb of God, so did faithful servants of the flock devote themselves to their charge with a dedication so complete that they became a part of the flock.


"For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee" (Hebrews 2:11-12).


In this light, preaching cannot be considered as the first responsibility of pastors. Again, availability is the first responsibility. The pastor must present himself to God, and upon the basis of such consecration, to people. He must acknowledge that to whatever degree the Lord enables and makes possible, he will be there for his people. He will not neglect his own family, if he has one, and he will recognize that his pastoral role begins in his own home. However, he understands that his life is not his own, and that the high calling of lowly servanthood means that involvement, identification, compassion, and a listening, caring, and available heart must chiefly characterize his ministry.


There is a sense in which a man must earn his place in the pulpit. By this, we do not discount the truth that God's callings are all of the most amazing grace and mercy. We rather propose that the pastor who merely wants to preach is no pastor at all in the Biblical sense. Shepherds do not merely speak to their sheep. No, they live with them and are there for them. As it were, they smell like them. The path to the pulpit passes through the pasture where the flock lives and dies, rejoices and cries, overcomes and fails, arises and makes its journey in a treacherous world. No man who avoids the pasture is worthy of the pulpit. Let us therefore pray for our pastors that they will understand and accept their primary calling, and then preach to a people whom first they have loved.


"Being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe . As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children."
(I Thessalonians 2:8-11)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"Howling With Sparrow"

Howling is infectious. Our family is well acquainted with this canine reality because through the years we have owned four beagles (or have they owned us?). Our current blessing, Sparrow, may be the best howler of all our hounds, and it takes very little to get her to throw her head back and bay at the moon, the ceiling, or whatever may be up there willing to receive her song.

I must confess that the "very little" that most often motivates Sparrow is her human family. Yes, we love to get Sparrow singing, so to speak. If we howl, she howls. So we howl. We're pretty good at it actually, or at least I think so. If the neighbors can hear our concert - which I hope they can't - I suspect they must think that the Davis family is either harboring a secret kennel of beagles, or that we have gone stark raving mad. It's quite a cacophony of sound, and while I've never really focused on the visual aspect of the experience, it must also be somewhat of a sight to behold. And no, there will be no audio or video on our website forthcoming!

Even more infectious than howling, our capacity for the sound of words powerfully influences others, for good or for ill. "There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health" (Proverbs 12:18). What we say and how we say it fills the air with either life or death, and the challenging and even disturbing truth is that every word we say has this effect. "I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36). "Idle" in this verse means leisurely, or even lazy. That is, we will one day answer for words spoken with no view toward their effect and influence, and while such judgment of believers' utterances will not affect our assured place in Heaven, the matter is nevertheless solemn and very serious. Did our words consistently "infect" our world with the spirit and truth of the Lord Jesus, or with the darkness of the flesh? We will face that question at the judgment seat of Christ.

We must face the question today, and for the rest of our earthly lives. There are few more important issues than what we say and how we say it. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). Our only hope in this matter the same hope we have in every matter. We must trust the Lord Jesus with all our hearts, receiving His forgiveness and cleansing for past failings, and submitting our tongue to Him for safekeeping and enabling to express His life. "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3). Sparrow provides for us a powerful reminder and lesson, and one that we should often consider together for the purpose of remembering that our words will be either graced with life, or laced with death. Indeed, others will "howl" with us, as it were, and may we lead always in the chorus that honors and reflects the Lord Jesus.

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
(Proverbs 25:11-13)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

"Help Yourself!"

"God helps those who help themselves." No, He doesn't - "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help" (Psalm 121:1).


God helps those who help themselves to His help. Yes, He does - "Ask and ye shall receive" (John 16:24).


Those who affirm the former adage often do so in the attempt to promote personal responsibility. Certainly this is a good thing, and the motive may be sincere. The means, however, is faulty. The idea that God is merely adding His enabling to our own efforts cannot be reconciled with the Bible's ongoing declaration of our complete dependence upon "the hills, from whence cometh my help." "Without Me, ye can do nothing" said the Lord Jesus. God "giveth to all life and breath and all things" wrote the Apostle Paul. David prayed "that I may know how frail I am". Our Lord "upholds all things by the word of His power," including ourselves (John 15:5; Acts 17:25; Psalm 39:4; Hebrews 1:3). The truth of the matter is our Heavenly Father does not need our help by the vanity of our efforts to help ourselves, nor does He add His provision as a mere complement to our own strivings. "He is thy life" declared Moses long ago to Israel, and we will never know either grace or true personal responsibility until we confess that "in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

The recognition of reception as our God-given capacity to respond to Him establishes the foundation of authentic personal responsibility in us. "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith which we preach" (Romans 10:8). When we trust the Lord Jesus, in response to the Holy Spirit's illumination, leading, and enabling, the character of Christ is revealed in us. His personal responsibility more and more motivates us to relate rightly to God and others. Helping ourselves to His help, and then bearing the fruit of the Spirit as the inevitable harvest of true faith - this is the motive and the means by which we increasingly find ourselves fulfilling the responsibilities of our lives in a manner that glorifies God rather than ourselves. Yes, our Lord helps those who help themselves to His help, leading to His own personal responsibility manifested in us and by us.

"He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper."
(Hebrews 13:6)

Monday, September 13, 2010

"Acceptance and Adjustment"

Fried chicken. In a kayak. On Mobile Bay. Nice breeze. Beautiful sunset. In other words, God is very, very good.

Frances and I set out late one afternoon last week, planning on reaching a small beach area we've discovered on the western shore of the Bay. With the aforementioned chicken and fixings, we looked forward to a nice picnic on the beach after a 45 minute paddle to the site. Alas, however, the tide was in, and there wasn't a spot of dry land to be seen. We therefore decided to have our meal in the boats despite the fact that Mobile Bay was choppy and raucous that afternoon.

It worked out well, despite the churning waters that caused us to have to concentrate on stability as well as eating. The chicken was great (if you want to know how to fry chicken so that it will almost bring tears to your eyes and sublime happiness to your palette, I'll be glad to tell you). The company was better. And the setting sun and a soft wind made for a blessed experience.

"A man's heart deviseth his way. But the Lord directeth his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

We make our plans, and it's proper that we do. God Himself is a planner, having an "eternal purpose in Christ" (Ephesians 3:11). Still, we often have to adjust to different circumstances and conditions than we anticipate (something He never has to do, of course). I had laid out the details of the picnic for nearly a week in my mind, and had really looked forward to it. The little beach is a nice place, with reeds that beautifully filter the setting sun, and a wonderful view of the Bay. Things didn't work out as planned, however, and acceptance and adjustment became necessary. By God's leading and enabling, we did so, and ended up having an experience just as wonderful as the one we had planned.

Throughout our lives, the reality of acceptance and adjustment continually presents itself to us. For example, I recently heard a commentator suggest that the most important quality a President must possess is the capacity to respond well to the many unexpected circumstances and conditions he will face while in office. I think this is true, and a good prayer to pray for our leaders is that they will respond well to the unexpected. We should pray this for each other and for ourselves as well. The One to whom we have entrusted both time and eternity perfectly anticipates the exigencies of both. Our Heavenly Father is never caught by surprise - "His understanding is infinite" - and He never requires contingency plans in case things don't go as He anticipates (Psalm 147:5). Of course, this Divine sensibility is impossible to understand because we have no frame of reference for knowledge of the future. It is a wonderful thing to trust, however, as we look to God for His leading, enabling, and provision. Indeed, our capacity to accept and adjust rests on our understanding that our Lord never has to do so.

"Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world."
(Acts 15:18)

Friday, September 10, 2010

"Let This Mind Be In You"

Lucifer, a created being honored by God to be the lightbearer (the meaning of his original name) fell from his calling because he sought an equality with his Creator that could never be.

"I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to the sides of the pit" (Isaiah 14:14-15).

Conversely, the Creator Himself, the second Person of the Trinity, willingly relinquished the appearance of His deity in order to save humanity from the effects of believing Satan's lie that "ye shall be as gods" (Genesis 3:5).

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:5-7).


In God's universe, created beings must be what they were made to be, and do what they were made to do. Grasping for more than our intended purpose, as determined by God, is the very essence of sin, and the harbinger of great destruction. "It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves" declared the Psalmist (Psalm 100:3). Our Heavenly Father determines our particular reason for being, and peace is found only as we seek and accept the truth of His purposes for us. As with the Lord Jesus, the quest cannot be motivated by the lust for reputation, and it will involve the humility of servanthood before God and men. "Let this mind be in you" commanded the Apostle Paul, the very mind of the Christ who for our sakes walked the path of the most abject humility and servitude.

"Father, who did You make me to be, and what have you called me to do for Your glory?" The attitude that motivates such prayer must pervade our convictions and consciousness. The answer will not be audibly provided for us, or written in the clouds by a skywriter. It will be given, however, in ways that illuminate our path and give assurance that we are responding to the will of God for our lives. "This is the way; walk ye in it" (Isaiah 30:21). Of course, there will be missteps along the way, and we pray also for our Lords correction and redirection. Nevertheless, we have much confidence in His leading as we trust the Lord Jesus and submit ourselves to the glory and will of God (Proverbs 3:5-6). We also recognize that we must not grasp for that which is not meant to be ours. Long ago, the devil originated sin by doing so. Long ago, Adam perpetuated sin by doing so. Long ago, the Lord Jesus died for sin by not doing so. If we have believed, the latter path awaits us also, and today we have the opportunity and responsibility to "let this mind be in you" - "Father, what did You make me to be, and what have You called me to do?"

"Not unto us, o Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory... Not my will, but thine be done."
(Psalm 115:1; Luke 22:42)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

"No More a Servant"

(Thanks to my dear brother and friend Jay for inspiration on this one)


"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:6-7).

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:1).

The Apostle Paul tells the Galatians that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ birthed them into family relationship with God, as opposed to mere servitude to a master. Nevertheless he refers to himself as "a servant of Jesus Christ."

The Lordship of Jesus must be understood in the context of our being "dear children" rather than mere slaves to a master (Ephesians 5:1). "Ye serve the Lord Christ" declared Paul, and thus the perception of ourselves as servants is a Biblically valid understanding (Colossians 3:24). However, sonship must be first in our minds as believers if submission to God is to be known and experienced according to the loving relationship for which the Lord Jesus suffered and died. Under the law, slaves. Under grace and truth, "no more a servant," but sons and daughters. The distinction is vital.

The obedience of the Christian is the obedience of love rather than the mere fulfillment of duty. Our Heavenly Father has no interest whatsoever in a heartless submission that belies the heart-filled reality of the Lord Jesus dwelling in us by His Spirit. Long ago, Israel was severely chastened because "because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things" (Deuteronomy 28:47). How much more must the born again believer, spiritually birthed by the Holy Spirit into being "a habitation of God," serve as a glad, grateful, and affectionate member of "the whole family in heaven and earth" rather than the cold and sterile discipline of a slave? (Ephesians 2:22; 3:15).

This truth, received and nurtured within our hearts and minds, will change our lives. We serve from sonship. We serve from being loved as beloved children who love in joyful response. We serve because there is genuine desire in us for the will of God, wrought in us by the Spirit of His Son dwelling in us. We serve in a devotion and sincerity that can only proceed from the shared interest of family involvement and relationship. And we serve with the understanding that "doing the will of God from the heart" is the only obedience in which our Heavenly Father has any interest (Ephesians 6:6). The Lord Jesus has made such genuine devotion possible, and the more we realize how near He has drawn us to His Father and to our Father, the more we will join Paul in the glad service of being dear sons and daughters.

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

"No More a Servant"

(Thanks to my dear brother and friend Jay for inspiration on this one)

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:6-7).
"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:1).
The Apostle Paul tells the Galatians that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ birthed them into family relationship with God, as opposed to mere servitude to a master. Nevertheless he refers to himself as "a servant of Jesus Christ."
The Lordship of Jesus must be understood in the context of our being "dear children" rather than mere slaves to a master (Ephesians 5:1). "Ye serve the Lord Christ" declared Paul, and thus the perception of ourselves as servants is a Biblically valid understanding (Colossians 3:24). However, sonship must be first in our minds as believers if submission to God is to be known and experienced according to the loving relationship for which the Lord Jesus suffered and died. Under the law, slaves. Under grace and truth, "no more a servant," but sons and daughters. The distinction is vital.
The obedience of the Christian is the obedience of love rather than the mere fulfillment of duty. Our Heavenly Father has no interest whatsoever in a heartless submission that belies the heart-filled reality of the Lord Jesus dwelling in us by His Spirit. Long ago, Israel was severely chastened because "because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things" (Deuteronomy 28:47). How much more must the born again believer, spiritually birthed by the Holy Spirit into being "a habitation of God," serve as a glad, grateful, and affectionate member of "the whole family in heaven and earth" rather than the cold and sterile discipline of a slave? (Ephesians 2:22; 3:15).
This truth, received and nurtured within our hearts and minds, will change our lives. We serve from sonship. We serve from being loved as beloved children who love in joyful response. We serve because there is genuine desire in us for the will of God, wrought in us by the Spirit of His Son dwelling in us. We serve in a devotion and sincerity that can only proceed from the shared interest of family involvement and relationship. And we serve with the understanding that "doing the will of God from the heart" is the only obedience in which our Heavenly Father has any interest (Ephesians 6:6). The Lord Jesus has made such genuine devotion possible, and the more we realize how near He has drawn us to His Father and to our Father, the more we will join Paul in the glad service of being dear sons and daughters.
"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
(John 1:12-13)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Sitting? Walking!

Part 2
To say that God's working in His trusting children is "dynamic" does not mean that it is necessarily overt. The Holy Spirit's indwelling presence in us is often so quietly unassuming that the affirmations of Scripture are the only evidence of it.

"I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel" (Isaiah 45:3).
Knowing God for who He is requires much experience that seems to be no experience at all. Familiarity with the heart of another most often proceeds from quiet discourse. In our relationship with God, the quiet can be so still that we may wonder if He is even with us. He is, and He is working in us regardless of what we may feel, or how things may appear. "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). The promise is sure, and the dynamic working of God on our behalf is ongoing in this present moment, and forever beyond. Again, however, the only knowledge we have of the "treasures" and "hidden riches" may be the Bible's assurance that such abundance exists. If so, let us rejoice that our Lord is working in the "darkness" and the "secret places" to tell us the most important thing we can ever know. He is telling us who He is.
"The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever."
(Isaiah 32:17)

Sitting? Walking!

Part 2

To say that God's working in His trusting children is "dynamic" does not mean that it is necessarily overt. The Holy Spirit's indwelling presence in us is often so quietly unassuming that the affirmations of Scripture are the only evidence of it.

"I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel" (Isaiah 45:3).

Knowing God for who He is requires much experience that seems to be no experience at all. Familiarity with the heart of another most often proceeds from quiet discourse. In our relationship with God, the quiet can be so still that we may wonder if He is even with us. He is, and He is working in us regardless of what we may feel, or how things may appear. "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). The promise is sure, and the dynamic working of God on our behalf is ongoing in this present moment, and forever beyond. Again, however, the only knowledge we have of the "treasures" and "hidden riches" may be the Bible's assurance that such abundance exists. If so, let us rejoice that our Lord is working in the "darkness" and the "secret places" to tell us the most important thing we can ever know. He is telling us who He is.

"The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever."
(Isaiah 32:17)

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Sitting? Walking!

I recall reading years ago that "there is a throne in our hearts upon which God desires to sit, and which we must abdicate."

Certainly there is truth in this analogy. The Lord Jesus Christ is our King, and He does indwell us by His Holy Spirit for the purpose of the will of God being consistently fulfilled in our lives. The imagery breaks down, however, as we consider the nature of our Lord's indwelling activity within us.

"Ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them" (II Corinthians 6:16).

Rather than sitting on a throne, the God who inhabits our spirits rather walks in us. He is dynamically active in His ongoing determination to glorify the Lord Jesus in our thoughts, attitudes, word, actions, and relationships with others.

"I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily" (Colossians 1:29).
"It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
"Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20).

Note that the Apostle Paul does not limit the affirmation of God's mighty working to himself. "In you" and "in us" he declares. Consider also that "the power that worketh in us" is beyond our capacity for thought or verbal expression, "exceedingly" beyond. In fact, the redeemed spirit of the born again believer teems with the dynamic activity of the eternally present God who is not sitting in us, but rather walking.

Why then do we not more experience the glory of such truth? Time and space do not allow a full consideration for the answer to this question. However, I am convinced that the primary reason for our failure to more apprehend and express the vibrant reality of our Lord's presence within us is similar to the experience of His own country during His earthly ministry: "He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58). Believers are now the "own country" of the Lord Jesus, and our experience of His working in us will be known in direct proportion to our belief in His Biblical declaration of it. "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17).

Do we view God as sitting in us? Do we even view Him as dwelling in us? Or is it the consistent affirmation of our hearts and our words that the Christ who forgave and redeemed us is also the Christ who "worketh in me mightily?" Our answer to this question will go far in determining our experience of the blessed reality of grace that made us the scene of God's dynamic activity on behalf of His Son's glory, the blessing of those with whom we live our lives, and the fulfillment of our hearts. Any lesser confidence, or any other confidence, denotes a tragic failure to "lay hold on eternal life," the life of Christ Himself given to us as a free gift of grace (I Timothy 6:12).

"We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
(II Corinthians 4:7)

Monday, September 6, 2010

"Far Better"

"It's better than the alternative."
We've likely all heard this quip about aging, and have perhaps expressed it ourselves. The Apostle Paul, however, had a completely different viewpoint.
"For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better" (Philippians 1:23).
Paul believed that physical departure from the present world is not only better, but "far better." Having seen the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, and having been caught up to the "third heaven" (where he witnessed glories too wondrous to describe), Paul knew that but a moment in the direct presence of God is infinitely greater than anything our earthly lives can offer. "In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11).
Our flesh longs for longevity and even permanence in a world that itself "passeth away" (I John 2:17). It therefore resists and rebels against any notion of a "desire to depart, and to be with Christ." We do not naturally think in such terms, and even the most godly believer may feel great apprehension when considering "the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4). It is therefore incumbent upon Christians to establish within our hearts the principled truth of "far better." We must choose to believe that in the twinkling moment of our passing from the earth to the aforementioned "valley," our Great Shepherd will Himself meet us for the journey - "Thou are with me." Paul declared of believers that "to be absent from the body" is synonymous with being "present with the Lord" (II Corinthians 5:8). Physical death ushers us into the presence of "fullness of joy," and "pleasures forevermore" - yes, far better.
We rejoice in our present existence, and Paul's affirmation does not mean that we morbidly long for our earthly demise. We affirm the Psalmist's hope that "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Nevertheless we look with him for greater glories: "and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6). Remaining in this present world is not "better than the alternative." It is far worse actually, but for the glory of God and the blessing of others, it is necessary until our earthly mission is complete. This we must believe, and any notion or emotion to the contrary must be instantly and summarily dismissed from the sensibilities. Just one look into the face of the Lord Jesus, and the Apostle's "far better" will be our joyous and eternal song.
"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
(I Corinthians 15:51-57)

"Far Better"

"It's better than the alternative."

We've likely all heard this quip about aging, and have perhaps expressed it ourselves. The Apostle Paul, however, had a completely different viewpoint.

"For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better" (Philippians 1:23).


Paul believed that physical departure from the present world is not only better, but "far better." Having seen the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, and having been caught up to the "third heaven" (where he witnessed glories too wondrous to describe), Paul knew that but a moment in the direct presence of God is infinitely greater than anything our earthly lives can offer. "In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11).

Our flesh longs for longevity and even permanence in a world that itself "passeth away" (I John 2:17). It therefore resists and rebels against any notion of a "desire to depart, and to be with Christ." We do not naturally think in such terms, and even the most godly believer may feel great apprehension when considering "the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4). It is therefore incumbent upon Christians to establish within our hearts the principled truth of "far better." We must choose to believe that in the twinkling moment of our passing from the earth to the aforementioned "valley," our Great Shepherd will Himself meet us for the journey - "Thou are with me." Paul declared of believers that "to be absent from the body" is synonymous with being "present with the Lord" (II Corinthians 5:8). Physical death ushers us into the presence of "fullness of joy," and "pleasures forevermore" - yes, far better.

We rejoice in our present existence, and Paul's affirmation does not mean that we morbidly long for our earthly demise. We affirm the Psalmist's hope that "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Nevertheless we look with him for greater glories: "and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6). Remaining in this present world is not "better than the alternative." It is far worse actually, but for the glory of God and the blessing of others, it is necessary until our earthly mission is complete. This we must believe, and any notion or emotion to the contrary must be instantly and summarily dismissed from the sensibilities. Just one look into the face of the Lord Jesus, and the Apostle's "far better" will be our joyous and eternal song.

"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
(I Corinthians 15:51-57)

Saturday, September 4, 2010

"Nothing Else"

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:37-39).

Repeated in both Old and New Testaments, the two great commands must form the determined purpose of our heart in all things, and at all times. We are to love God, and to love others in everything we do.

This determination, however, must always be viewed as the primary fruit of our existence, rather than as its root.

"We love Him because He first loved us" (I John 4:19).
"The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34).

Our love for God and others can never independently arise in and of ourselves. Only our Creator is love in His essence (I John 4:8; 16). Only He can originate, feel, and act from Himself the sublime reality of this most wonderful quality of His holy being. Therefore, when genuine love is known and expressed in any created being, the source and power always flows from the God who "is love," and from living relationship with Him.

Such relationship begins and eternally continues through the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do" (John 14:30-31).

The Son who perfectly loves both the Father and the human race is the one who enables us to do the same. "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6). The Christ who lived a perfectly earthly lifetime of loving His Father and others now dwells within the redeemed spirits of born again believers. Thereby we are enabled to "walk, even as He walked," and thus to love the Father and to love others in the beauty of holy self sacrifice (I John 2:6). Our experience of this "hope of glory" will not be perfect as it was in the Lord Jesus, but it is mean to be more and more the consistent reality of our thoughts, attitudes, emotions, words, actions, and relatings to God and man. "As touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more" (I Thessalonians 4:9-10).

Any other understanding of what our life is, or what our determined purpose is meant to be, does not fit God's definition of life. We exist to be loved by Him, to love Him in response through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and to love others as the expression of our Christ-wrought union with God. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. There is, in fact, nothing else, because any other existence is vanity in the present, and eternal misery in the future. May our Heavenly Father lead us more and more to the only emphasis whereby we are truly alive, and to its vibrant expression in our lives both now and forevermore.

"Mercy unto you, and peace, and love be multiplied."
(Jude 1:2)

Friday, September 3, 2010

"Love, As Defined By God"


"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:43-45).



The first mention of love in the New Testament concerns our enemies, and thus reveals our complete dependence on help from Above if we are to fulfill the will of God.



Loving our enemies is a human impossibility. We are not composed of such holy substance in and of ourselves, a self evident truth prove by the history of the human race and our own personal experience. Despite our frequent consideration of the concept of love, the personal and corporate experience of humanity conflict reveals that love, as defined by God, is our great weakness.



"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7-8).



We may find motivation to bless and do good for family and friends (although we are weak even in this pursuit). However, human beings do not love enemies unless empowered by the One who died for those whose sins were the very cause of His suffering. There is such an empowering through the Lord Jesus: "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5). Through Him, we can love, bless, do good, and pray for who hate, curse, do evil, and seek our harm. We must, because love that exempts enemies from its bestowal is not love as God defines it.



The great commands of Scripture, repeated in both Old and New Testaments, are to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself" (Luke 10:27). This is the proper goal of human existence, established and commanded by the Creator of human existence. If any lesser pursuit rules our hearts, we can be sure that we are being controlled by our native human weakness. On the other hand, if the altar of love has been built in our hearts through faith in the Lord Jesus and submission to His will, we must continually seek His enabling. He will gladly respond, and we will find ourselves loving, as God defines love. He will be the origin, the motivation, the reason and the power of such self sacrifice, and He alone will be glorified. We will be the glad recipients of that love not only bestowed upon us, but abundantly made resident within us.



"Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor."

(Ephesians 5:2)

Thursday, September 2, 2010

"In the Details"

The old saying, "the devil is in the details" may bear some truth. However, far more to the point is the blessed reality that God is in the details.

The former axiom refers to some mysterious fact existing within the details of a condition, situation, or circumstance. Doubtless our spiritual enemy does nefariously work behind the scenes to seek our harm, and more importantly, the enshrouding of God's glory revealed in our lives. Again, however, the Lord who "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" is infinitely more active in specific and presently hidden ways that will one day shine forth in the beauty of His perfect working in our lives (Ephesians 1:11).

"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not!" (Genesis 28:16). Jacob's admission is surely shared by all believers who are the subjects of our Heavenly Father's continual involvement and care, but who see so very little of what He is doing. Life often seems so human and ordinary for even the most godly among us, and the unseen Heart and Hand that work "all things together for good" are normally so inauspicious that we see only the tiniest glimmer of their dynamic activity on our behalf (Romans 8:28). Our presently limited vision also contributes to the "I knew it not" reality of our earthly sojourn. "We see through a glass darkly" wrote the Apostle Paul who was caught up to Heaven for the vision of inutterable glories, but who nevertheless included himself - "we see... darkly" - in the admission of how little God's children actually know of His presence in the moments of our lives (II Corinthians 12:2-4; I Corinthians 13:12).

I often thank God for the things He has done and is doing that I know nothing about. Provisions for needs I never knew existed because the supply was so quickly and abundantly provided. Protections from jeopardy of which I was unaware. Intricate working in circumstances and conditions - and my heart - that will remain unknown until I get to Heaven. Perfect coordination of the details of life that will one day reveal our Father's infinite wisdom and boundless love to such degree that we will fall to our faces in wonder. All declare that God is in the details, and that despite the fact that we so often know it not, we can still believe as a matter of conviction that nothing will be wasted in our Father's ongoing purpose of conforming us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. This moment in our lives teems with the vibrant activity of God. May it teem also with offerings of praise and thanksgiving from our hearts to the One whose involvement in the details reveals the loving devotion of His heart.

"Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."
(Psalm 40:5)