Monday, July 31, 2017

"Behold!"


"Behold!"       
    
   
   Who we are and what we do as born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ sometimes fail to align as we seek to walk with our Heavenly Father during this present lifetime.  Thus, the Apostle Paul commanded, 

     "Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).  

     Spiritual growth involves the increasing correlation between our "are" and our "walk".  Moreover, being precedes doing.  "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Ephesians 2:10).  The challenge we face involves knowing, understanding, and acting upon who we are in Christ, as opposed to who we were before we believed.  We often feel the same, if not worse, and we can still act as if we are spiritual ugly ducklings rather than swans.  The Corinthians serve as a clear example of this dichotomy between who we are as Christians, and what we do.

    "Ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (I Corinthians 6:11).
   "Ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (I Corinthians 3:3).

   Spiritual in their being, identity, and spiritual substance - "of Him are ye in Christ Jesus" - but carnal in their thoughts, attitudes, and actions, the Corinthians believers failed to realize and act upon the truth, namely, the miracle of transformation wrought in them by salvation in Christ (I Corinthians 1:30).  

    "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.  Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5:17).

    Note the "behold" in the Apostle Paul's affirmation.  Do we see by faith the newness in us, as declared by God's Word?  Or do we base our self perception on appearance, feeling, and performance?  If we have trusted in the Lord Jesus, we are not who and what we were in the innermost depths of our being.  The entrance of the Holy Spirit into our own spirits birthed a "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).  We presently retain our flesh, inherited from Adam, wherein a "law of sin" still resides (Romans 7:23; 25).  Thus, we can still walk as a spiritual ugly duckling.  This does not change the truth that in Christ, we are a swan able to live in the beauty of holiness as enabled by the our Lord's presence, leading, and enabling.  We must behold this truth declared so frequently on the pages of the New Testament, and proclaimed deeply within our hearts - "The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16).

   One day our "are" and our "walk" will perfectly unite.  We will always act in accordance with who and what we are in Christ. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be.  But we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (I John 3:2).  In this day, we seek progress toward that holy end of glorification.  In this day, we behold by remembering and affirming that regardless of appearance, emotion, and past experience, we are not who we were before salvation.  The Lord Jesus suffered too much for us to miss the miracle of His grace already wrought in us.  Indeed, let us remember that on the cross of Calvary, He became what He was not so that we might become what we now are in Him…

"He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
 (II Corinthians 5:21).

Weekly Memory Verse 
    Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 6:11)
   

Saturday, July 29, 2017

The Saturday Series -25- "The Uncreated"


(Friends:  Most Saturdays for the duration of this year, I plan on sharing a message that relates to the character and nature of God, and our response thereunto.  I hope you will find it helpful, and as always, thanks for allowing us to send the devotionals to you.  Glen).


The Saturday Series - 25


"The Uncreated"      
    
   
  The Creator Himself exists as the Uncreated.  "From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God" (Psalm 90:2).

   Conversely, in the depths of our own sensibilities, we know there was a time when we were not.  We had a beginning, an inception from nothingness into being.  We rarely ponder this in conscious terms.  However, the Truth is always there, bearing witness to our nature of dependency regarding the most fundamental aspect of our existence, namely, our existence.  "It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves" (Psalm 100:3).  The deception of devilish and human pride may incite much deluded bluster.  The Spirit of God nevertheless bears witness in every moment that we could not begin, nor can we sustain ourselves.  "In Him, we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

   God's self-generated existence involves a completely different reality regarding the One "who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see" (I Timothy 6:16).  What sensibility pervades the depths of God's own heart and mind?  What does the Uncreated think about Himself as One who has always been, and will always be?  I am reminded of the golfer Tom Weiskopf  who was asked what Jack Nicklaus was thinking as he neared the finish of winning his 6th Masters tournament.  "If I knew the way Jack thought, I would have won this tournament myself" wryly responded Weiskopf.   We cannot really know how God thinks - "My thoughts are not your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8).  We can know much of what He thinks, as revealed in Scripture.  But how He thinks, as an eternal, infinite Lord who lives and moves and has being in Himself, this we cannot know.

   A blessed Truth lies before us in this inscrutability of the Divine heart and mind.  The truth we ponder bears witness to a redeeming light we can see, again, as communicated by the Spirit of God and the Word of God.  Namely, God is God, and we are not.  This He knows perfectly.  This we must know more completely in order to rightly relate to the One upon whom we depend.  Our Lord possesses - rightly - utter self confidence.  God knows who He is, and what He can do.  "I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself" (Isaiah 44:24).  The more we know this Truth about His abilities and self-awareness, the more we recognize ourselves and our desperate need to "trust in the Lord with all thy heart" (Proverbs 3:5).  We did not originate ourselves.  He did.  We do not sustain our own being.  He does.  Again, He knows these truths perfectly, and relates to us in their holy Light.  We must know them better in order to walk in the illumination of truth and reality.  The Uncreated beckons the created to know Him as He is, and has everlastingly been, and to know ourselves as we are, and will everlastingly be.  This is peace, and there is no other.

"Thy throne is established from old; Thou art from everlasting."
(Psalm 93:2)

Weekly Memory Verse 
     In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(I Thessalonians 5:18)
   

Friday, July 28, 2017

"No Discernable Traces"


"No Discernable Traces"       
    
   
   A thought, just one, changed the moment and the outcome.

   "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies" (Psalm 119:159).

   As I vacuumed our car yesterday, a small piece of almost imperceptible fluff just escaped my reach.  Where it rested, no one would ever have seen it, or even knew it existed.  Well, almost no one.  The Lord would have been aware, as would have I for a few seconds until the fluff receded into forgetfulness.  However, that previously mentioned thought entered the picture.  "Wait a minute, this car does not belong to me, nor am I caring for it simply to please myself.  It rather belongs to the Lord, and I am His steward caretaker of this gift He so graciously provided to us."  

    "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof" (Psalm 24:1).

   Left to myself, the fluff would have been left to itself.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit does not leave us to our own devices, or notions.  I thus stretched myself and directed the vacuum wand toward that hidden corner.  I am pleased to say that no discernible traces of the rubbish remain.  I am even more pleased to say that remembering, by God's good grace, that our car is actually His car provided a moment of joy as the Lord enabled me to do the best I could in taking care of His possession.  Consider that if our Lord were here with us physically and commanded that we perform a task.  How devotedly would we commit ourselves to doing the best possible job we could?  "Whatsoever ye do… do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).  Consider also that He provides the motivation and strength to perform our duties - "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might" (Ephesians 6:10).  Thankfully, our Lord is with us in far greater measure than mere sight, sound, and sense.  He dwells within us by His Spirit, empowering us thereby.  Such realization changes everything in the hearts of His trusting children.  "Nothing is too much to do for You, Lord!" - this is the inevitable attitude of Christians when we remember the One for whom we labor, and by whom we labor.

   I think I'll always remember that bit of fluff.  I hope I do.  Its presence in a hidden corner provided an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to remind me the privilege it is do all things for the glory of the Lord Jesus.  Leaving no discernible traces yielded incredibly discernible graces in my heart.  How wonderful our Heavenly Father must be that He calls us to view ordinary tasks in this most extraordinary perspective of His involved presence in all things.  The Psalmist, as always, described the privilege, the privileged responsibility, most beautifully…

"I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."
(Psalm 84:10)
"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."
(Romans 14:7-8)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(I Thessalonians 5:18)
   

Thursday, July 27, 2017

"The Dreamers and the Doers"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

"The Dreamers and the Doers"       
    
   
   Without the dreamers, the doers would not have, well, they wouldn't have anything to do.  Without the doers, the dreamers' visions would be sparkling wisps that appear for a moment, and then vanish into nothingness.  It takes both, and both must be certain to appreciate and give thanks for one another.

   "Ye… are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:20-21).  

    God communicated to Solomon that He desired the building of an earthly temple.  He then called Hiram to cut the trees with which the temple would be constructed (I Kings 5).  The roles of both men were required to bring the Lord's house into existence, namely, the visionary and the workman.  Who was more important?  Well, Solomon was king, and also the chief recipient of God's revealed purpose.  However, Hands On Hiram, as it were, actually did the work - with thousands of others like him - that constructed the building.  It is impossible to measure importance regarding each party because one without the other could not have fulfilled his task.  "We are members one of another" (Ephesians 4:25).

    Every born again believer who seeks to walk faithfully with God plays a role in the fulfillment of His vision, and the execution of His doings.  We may sometimes wonder about our own callings, and even more, about our Heavenly Father's working in our brothers and sisters.  Just before He left His disciples, the Lord Jesus placed a premium on their love not only for God, but for each other.  "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).  The Lord knew the differences between His followers, and the varying callings each of them would fulfill.  Much grace would be required for the early church to be formed and perpetuated as God worked through Peter, James, John, and the rest.  Much grace continues to be required as our Father works through multitudes of His trusting children to continue the building of His spiritual temple through both the dreamers and the doers.  God calls His Solomons and His Hirams, who must all look to Him for the power to fulfill His purposes together in mutual and loving respect for God, and for each other.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."
(Proverbs 29:18)
"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."
(I John 3:18)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(I Thessalonians 5:18)
 

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

“The Way Through the Waves”


"The Way Through the Waves"       
    
   Our spiritual enemies seek always to discourage us, directing our focus to challenging circumstances, situations, and conditions rather than the Lord who enables us to walk upon the wind-tossed waves of life's challenges.

    "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him" (Matthew 14:25-31).

    We must apply the truth of this amazing episode to our own hearts.  The Lord Jesus walks upon the roiled seas of our lives.  "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  He beckons us to walk unto Him and with Him by our "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).  This involves confidence in His involved presence - "It is I, be not afraid" - and the obedience of faith whereby we "come down out of the ship" to walk where it seems that no pathway exists.  Just as God promised to Israel, "I will even make a way in the wilderness," so He assures us that we can come to Him and walk with Him as we look to Him (Isaiah 43:19).

   The waves of our lives confront us in countless forms, degrees, and measures.  All serve the nail-scarred Feet that walk upon them.  They serve us as well when we set our gaze upon the Author and Finisher.  "Look at the waves!" cry our enemies.  "Look unto Me" calls the Lord (Isaiah 45:22).  The choice is ours, based upon the way that is His, the way through the waves unto the Lord Jesus, and then with Him as we maintain our gaze on the One of whom the disciples so rightly declared, "Even the winds and the seas obey Him!" (Matthew 8:27).

"Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me."
(Micah 7:7)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(I Thessalonians 5:18)
   

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

“Gentle and Forthright”


"Gentle and Forthright"       
    
   One reason God calls His trusting children in Christ to be "gentle, showing all meekness to all men" involves the fact that we have hard things to say to each other, and especially to those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus (Titus 3:2).  

   "He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead" (Acts 10:42).

    The Christ we preach as the Savior will one day be our judge.  If we have received His grace of a freely given and secured salvation, our works will nevertheless be subject to His evaluation, leading to either rewards or losses at the judgment seat of Christ.  For those who do not believe, eternal condemnation and sorrow await.

    "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad… Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire (II Corinthians 5:10; I Corinthians 3:13-15).
   
    "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power" (II Thessalonians 1:7-9).

   
    The communication of hard truth must be accompanied by a gentle attitude.  This does not preclude direct and forthright communication, but it does mean that we maintain kindness and civility as we share the Gospel in its full measure of Truth.  Moreover, we must humbly realize the gracious mercy we ourselves have required from the heart of God.  We are all needy souls telling other supplicants where to find bread, as it were.  Such awareness maintains our own proper attitude of heart, while enabling us to express kindness in even our most direct affirmations of the Bible's challenging warnings.

   We must be willing to tell people the hard truths.  Even the Apostle Paul found this difficult, leading him to request prayer "for me, that utterance may be given unto me, to make known the mystery of the Gospel… that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" (Ephesians 6:19-20).  Equally important is the attitude in which we "speak boldly."   We must also speak humbly as those saved by the same grace we press upon the hearts of others.  Forthrightness and meekness united foster great authority in communicating both the blessed promises and dire warnings of the Bible inspired by One who loves us enough to declare the truth of both eternal hope and jeopardy.

"And 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; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
(II Timothy 2:24-26)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(I Thessalonians 5:18)
  

Monday, July 24, 2017

"Why We Eat" Part 2


"Why We Eat"   

Part 2
    
    
   Having established the truth that our first and primary reason for eating involves glorifying God, let us now consider the corollary truth that God purposes our physical consumption of food to reflect our spiritual partaking of the Lord Jesus Christ.

   "Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life.  He that cometh to Me shall never hunger… He that eateth Me, even He shall live by Me" (John 6:35; 57).
   "The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made" (Romans 1:20).

   Every time a human being consumes a morsel of food, the physical act epitomizes the spiritual reality of relationship and fellowship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Scripture references the bond with our Heavenly Father in these terms because eating is so fundamental to our existence.  We cannot long physically survive and thrive without food.  Nor can we cannot spiritually live, as God defines life, without partaking the Bread of life by faith.  We spiritual ingest Christ by loving, trusting, and obeying Him, even as He declared of His own earthly experience: "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me" (John 4:34).  Thus, God made us to physically eat as a means of reflecting the far greater spiritual truth that we "live through Him" (I John 4:9).

   We will not consciously think of this truth every time we consume food.  It happens nonetheless as "the things that are made" mirror "the invisible things of Him" (Romans 1:20).  Just as in physical terms, food is life - we must eat - so must we live as "partakers of Christ" in order to know the far greater spiritual reality of relationship with God (Hebrews 3:14).  Realizing and affirming such Truth changes our perspective regarding food and eating, elevating the matter to a place in our hearts whereby we realize that every morsel consumed reflects Heavenly realities.  Thus, we not only glorify God as we eat in light of Truth, we also reveal Him and His spiritual purpose for our existence and life in Christ.  The matter involves far more significance than we realize as eternal glories shine forth in the necessity, benefit, and enjoyment that accompanies this fundamental aspect of our existence.

"For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer."
(I Timothy 4:4-5)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
(I Thessalonians 5:18)
  

Saturday, July 22, 2017

The Saturday Series - 24 - "Art in His Heart"


(Friends:  Most Saturdays for the duration of this year, I plan on sharing a message that relates to the character and nature of God, and our response thereunto.  I hope you will find it helpful, and as always, thanks for allowing us to send the devotionals to you.  Glen).

(A repeat from 2014)


The Saturday Series - 24


"Art in His Heart"      
    
   
  
   A friend recently sent the link for a video entitled "Starling Murmuration."  It reveals the wondrous ritual of hundreds of thousands of starlings, who at certain times of the year unite in a perfectly choreographed dance that defies the imagination and thrills the soul.  My initial impression involved a vibrantly living and beautifully fluctuating art gallery.  I've included the link below, and I assure you that wonder awaits upon watching the starlings (sadly, the video does not effectively capture the sound made by the birds' movement, from which the term "Murmuration" arises).

    "Art" implies an artist.  God is nothing if He is not that.  There is art in His heart, as it were.  "Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary" (Psalm 96:6).  Creation comprises a canvas upon which the Creator displays not simply His ability - "strength" - but also His imagination - "beauty" - in myriad glories of sight, sound, texture, fragrance, and even flavor.  "O taste and see that the Lord is good!" - (Psalm 34:8). 

      For discussion's sake, imagine that the Lord could have made a universe without color, or the rods and cones in our eyes to behold it.  He could have omitted sound, and the hearing faculties that absorb, assimilate, and process auditory waves.  He could have formed surfaces without texture, or our bodies without the nervous system that processes our capacity for touch and feel.  He could have excluded fragrance and flavor from creation, along with our olfactory and gustatory systems that make possible our enjoyment of fragrance and food.  Indeed, we must imagine these possibilities because it is not possible that the living God could have acted in such a manner.  He is holy, and must do all things in accordance with His character, nature, and way.  This includes the art that so sublimely characterizes His heart.  Thus, when the Lord formed creation, He acted in beauty as well as in power.  The Great Artist continues to draw wonders from the palette of His heart to splash upon the creation canvas, wonders such as seemingly innumerable starlings in such a choreography of flight that we must see and worship the Choreographer.

    We exist in a vibrantly living, constantly changing, and beautifully fluctuating art gallery.  Perceiving the universe and it's Maker/Artist in such terms opens our hearts to joys that can be known anywhere and everywhere.  Our senses exist for such appreciation.  Our spirits exist for the obvious response of worship.  Our tongues exist for grateful exclamations of praise and thanksgiving (although words often fail in the splendors of God's revealed glory).  There is art in God's heart, and the desire to display it to those who recognize the sublime gallery in which we live.  May we be among that blessed company, and in this day appreciate, worship, and proclaim the glory of the Artist, and the beauty of His art.


"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."
(Psalm 27:4)
"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."
(Psalm 90:17)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 6:23)
    
 

Friday, July 21, 2017

"Why We Eat"


"Why We Eat"   
    
   Why do we eat?   A careful consideration of this question yields many answers.  I would list some of them, but it might be better if you allow yourself a few moments to ponder at least of a few of the reasons we ingest food.  Moreover, I would like to focus on the first and main motivation that should guide and inform our eating.

    "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).

   To honor our Lord provides the primary reason for eating.  Of course, we don't consciously think about glorifying God with every bite of food.  Nor is it necessary that we do so.  For born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, however, it is incumbent upon us to build an altar within our hearts whereupon we devote ourselves to the glory of God in this most basic function of life.  Our Heavenly Father calls us to realize that eating presents an opportunity for worship.  We can eat in a manner that exalts the Lord Jesus, thus establishing eating as a spiritual matter.  If we walk in the truth of receiving our food as from God, and then gratefully appreciate and enjoy the gift, we can be confident that we thereby honor Him.  

    This constitutes an important Biblical insight in a generation wherein most people are scared of food, guilt ridden about eating, and convinced that the next bite of whatever may be fatal.  I suggest these characteristics as observations rather than suggesting that we should not be thoughtful about eating.  Certainly we do well to eat in whatever manner we have discovered to be most beneficial to our health, well being, and capacity to successfully function in physical terms.  This involves different regimens for different people, and seeking God's wisdom in the matter surely benefits and enhances our lives.  However, the fact remains that we must establish as our primary motivation the blessed truth that we can honor our Lord as we eat.  Acknowledging the gift, giving thanks, and rejoicing in our Father's generosity forms the first and best reason for partaking our food, thereby directing glory to the Giver of "every good gift and every perfect gift" (James 1:17).

"And Jesus said unto them, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
(John 6:35)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 6:23)
   

Thursday, July 20, 2017

"How the Moments Matter"


"How the Moments Matter"   
    
    
   When only one thing matters - if it is the right thing - everything else matters.

   "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).
   "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).

   Our awareness and response to such Truth can wax and wane (hopefully much more the former than the latter).  We miss much of the significance God infuses into every moment, event, condition, circumstance, condition, and person.  Both the magnitude of His working and our present human frailty hinder full experience of our Lord's working.  It proceeds nonetheless, and perhaps when we get to Heaven, our Lord will reveal to us just how present and dynamically involved He was during our earthly sojourn.  Recognizing our current challenge regarding God's universal engagement requires that we frequently remind each other and ourselves that our lives teem with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  This constitutes a primary reason for consistent exposure to the Scriptures and the holy response of prayer.  We must also frequently fellowship with other believers who, like ourselves, seek to remember and affirm that God is near, God is here, and God is active whether or not we have any perception or awareness thereof.  

    Such remembrance increasingly makes the moments matter.  We may not understand the nature of their significance, and moments will often just seem like moments.  "We walk by faith, not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7).  They are much more, however.  All of them.  Somehow, in some way, our Heaven Father weaves His eternal purpose in Christ into every breath we breathe, every beat of our heart, every thought, emotion, word, action, and relationship with Him and with people.  This we must believe, first because it is true, and then because we can far more know and experience His infusion of significance as we acknowledge that "God… worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:3; 11).

    God Himself is that which matters, or rather, He who matters.  When we receive and assimilate this blessed Truth, the significance of His reality and presence comes into much clearer focus.   We still "see through a glass darkly," but quite often a little less darkly (I Corinthians 13:12).  We also more often realize how the moments matter in the light of our Lord's working.  This is one of those moments, and let us bow heart and head to acknowledge, "Father, You are near, You are here, and You are at work to glorify the Lord Jesus, confirm Your activity to me, and prepare me to reflect such blessed light to others who must also see."

"I will look for Him."
(Isaiah 8:17)
"Call unto Me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not."
(Jeremiah 33:3)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 6:23)
    

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

"Pared Down"


"Pared Down"   
    
    
   Perhaps you've heard the story about the railway inspector whose boss chided him for writing longwinded reports.  "Pare down your words, Joe" said the supervisor.  Not too long after, the inspector sent a report concerning severe flooding of the tracks in a certain area.  "Where the railroad was, Boss" he penned, "the river is now."

   "He that hath knowledge spareth his words" (Proverbs 17:27).

   I know, I know, you're thinking, "I sure hope Glen will heed what he's writing!"  I'll try, I promise, I'll try!  Indeed, we may discover at the end of our lives that the wisest words we uttered (or wrote) were the ones we chose not to express.  As a skilled musician once wrote about musical performance, "It's not what you play.  It's what you don't play that adds art to the music."  Whether in speaking, writing, or playing, restraint regarding words and notes form the soul of communication.  Indeed, when I receive a question regarding one of these messages that leads me to go back and reread, I always think, "I could have expressed that much better, in far fewer words."  It's hard to see that immediately after writing the messages.  But further reflection almost always improves quality by subtraction down rather than addition.

   This is true in all of life.  Growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ involves paring down as much as building up.  As we walk with God, unlearning accompanies our learning of Truth.  The Scriptures not only provide "doctrine" and "instruction in righteousness."  They also expose and eliminate error through the application of "reproof" and "correction" (II Timothy 3:16).  You may have heard another story about a little boy who came home one day from school.  "What did you learn today, Honey?" asked his mother.  The boy replied ruefully, "Well, I learned that 7 + 7 does not equal 17!"  In similar manner, opening our Bibles not only blessedly adds to our knowledge of God and His truth.  It also ruthlessly follows the principles to which the prophet Jeremiah was called: "Root out... pull down… destroy... throw down" (Jeremiah 1:10).

   I'll work on following the railway inspector's example.  More importantly, the Lord will continue His work in all of us to pare away that which does not conform to the spiritual and moral image of the Lord Jesus.  It's a merciful activity of His heart and hand, although the process often feels keenly painful as He both edifies and eliminates.  In the end, we will greatly appreciate our Heavenly Father's conforming us by not only confirming us, but also correcting us.

"Remove far from me vanity and lies."
(Proverbs 30:8)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 6:23)
    

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

“Pure Unselfishness”


"Pure Unselfishness"   
    
   As seek to rightly relate to God, we must consider the vast difference between Him and ourselves.  He is infinite.  We are finite.  He is self existent.  We depend on Him for all things.  He knows all.  We know so very little.  He is perfect.  We are imperfect.  His perfection especially involves His existence as a purely unselfish triune Being who has never known a moment of furthering His own benefit at the expense of others.  Scripture teaches that God is love, and that love does not seek its own benefit (I John 4:8; I Corinthians 13:5).  We have no personal frame of reference for such a sensibility.  In our best moments, we can never be sure that some trace of fleshly self-centeredness does not adulterate our motivations.  The Apostle Paul taught that we might even give our body to be burned, but do so from a motive less than loving (I Corinthians 13:3).  

   It greatly challenges us to think of our Lord in this plainly declared Biblical way.  Again, other than God and His Word, we have no other experience or awareness of pristinely pure unselfishness.  We all tend to transfer our sensibilities to God, even as we seek to rightly and Biblically relate to Him.  We must rather seek to remember the character and nature of God's love as we commune with Him.  Also, as we read the Scriptures that proclaim such Divine goodness, we should keep in mind that God always acts unselfishly, even as He works to fulfill the eternal purpose that glorifies His person, name, and actions.  This is what love does, again, because this is what love is, as existing in the essence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  "For God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son" does not merely report the redemptive working of the Gospel.  It also describes the other-devoted nature of our wondrous Lord: "God… loved… He gave."  Indeed, consider that the Lord Jesus declared, "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give His life a ransom for many."  Ponder that the same Savior also said, "The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works" (Matthew 20:28; John 14:10).  Thus, we see that the Son's unselfishness proceeded from the Father, the revelation of which comes to us through the Holy Spirit, of whom the Lord Jesus said, "He shall not speak of Himself" (John 16:14).  I can only think of one verbal or written response to this revelation of God's triune altruism: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!"

   God always acts unselfishly, whether in blessing, or even in the exercise of His wrath against the wicked.  If this raises questions in our minds, the reason involves the aforementioned difference between Him and ourselves.  Consider also that in those who trust the Lord Jesus, our Heavenly Father works to conform us to His loving image (Romans 8:28-29).  "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (I John 3:2).  The salvation of Christ will one day completely deliver us from the cruel tyranny of self centeredness unto the blessed peace of "His love… perfected in us" (I John 4:12).  In that day, relating to Him will involve far less mystery.  Still, however, God will be God, we will be ourselves, and we will never exhaust the discovery of His wonder, and the sublime glory of....

"The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."
(Ephesians 3:19)
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD.   "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55:8-9)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 6:23)
    

Monday, July 17, 2017

“Heavenly Machinations” Part 2


"Heavenly Machinations"   

Part 2
    
    
   As mentioned in Part 1 of this consideration, no Biblical evidence exists that Job knew anything about the discourse between God and Satan that occurred before his trial.  Moreover, we do not even know if Job was aware of the devil's existence.

    "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8).

   What would have changed in Job's response to challenge had he realized that "fiery darts of the wicked" pierced him rather than "the arrows of the Almighty" he wrongly perceived? (Ephesians 6:16; Job 6:4).  How does Truth help us to deal with pain, loss, difficulty, heartache, and heartbreak?  First, it does not immediately lessen our hurts.  God dispenses realized comfort according to His perfect wisdom.  This may sometimes involve the lingering of discomfort and difficulty.  He takes no pleasure in lengthening our enemies' leash, and thus allowing painful challenges to occur and continue.  However, our Heavenly Father seeks our best interests rather than our creature comforts.  He also knows and possesses perfect confidence in His ability to use Satan's attacks in our lives for the ongoing transformation of His children to the Savior's spiritual and moral image.  Thus, our knowledge of Truth may not instantly apply balm to pain because the discomfort may be necessary for God's perfect purposes in our lives.  Would the devil's fiery darts, as allowed by God, have been instantaneously less painful if Job had rightly perceived them according to Truth?  Likely not.

   On the other hand, Truth does greatly enable us to bear our difficulties, and to do so with grace.  "If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf… Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator" (I Peter 4:16; 19).  The Romans said of 1st century Christians, even as they persecuted and martyred them, "They die well."  Truth makes for such nobility of character, as formed in us by the Lord Jesus.  We may shed no less tears in our sorrows.  But the tears will be sweet rather than bitter as we realize the true nature of our conflict, and even more, as we trust our Father's wisely applied continuance of our trial, or deliverance therefrom.  "As for God, His way is perfect" declared David of the Truth that the Lord either delivers us from our troubles, or He delivers us in them (II Samuel 22:31). 

   A final thought.  While we may know in principle that the devil and his minions exist, and that many of our trials involve not God's arrows, but our enemy's fiery darts, we often forget.  This will not suffice as we seek to walk in peace, and in a manner that honors God in both blessing and buffeting.  Rather than blame our Lord in trials, or whine in self-pity, we rather do well to get our spiritual dander up, as it were.  "Somebody is attempting to thwart the peace in me for which the Lord Jesus suffered and died!  Someone is lying to me about God's character, nature, and His very present help in trouble!  I must not allow this to happen!  I must arise to fight the good fight of faith through Christ!  I must overcome by faith, as made possible by God's grace!  I must, because the glory of God is at stake, along with the peace of my heart and the peace of other's hearts that I will influence by my response, for good or ill!"   Truth musters the troops.  It calls us to engage in battle.  It promises the ability to fight, again, to fight the good fight of faith.  We may hurt as we do battle, we may feel perplexed, and we may wipe tears with one hand as we wield the sword with the other.  We will nevertheless fight as Truth calls us, and we respond.  For the trusting sons and daughters of God in Christ, this is enough for the present hour as we stand strong in the Lord rather than cower in response to devilish lies, distortions, and deceptions.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth."
(Ephesians 6:10-14)  

Weekly Memory Verse 
    Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 6:23)
  

Saturday, July 15, 2017

The Saturday Series - 23 - "Relational"


(Friends:  Most Saturdays for the duration of this year, I plan on sharing a message that relates to the character and nature of God, and our response thereunto.  I hope you will find it helpful, and as always, thanks for allowing us to send the devotionals to you.  Glen).


The Saturday Series - 23


"Relational"      
  
   Before anything else existed, there was God and God only.  He was not, however, alone.

   "From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God" (Psalm 90:2).
   "These words spake Jesus… And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:1; 5).

    God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit eternally exist in a bond of love that comprises the very essence of all reality.  Perfectly fulfilled in His triune Being, God dwells in a relationship of mutual devotion, commitment, affection, and determination for one another's holy benefit.  Just as a human family exists as one, but also in distinct personalities, so our Creator eternally dwells in a unity that involves plurality, and a plurality that forms unity.  "Let Us make man in Our image" declared the Lord upon His making of Adam, providing one of the most vital Biblical insights into the nature and character of God (Genesis 1:26).

    We would expect such a God to emphasize relationship, and He does - "I and My Father are one… the Father loveth the Son… I love the Father" (John 10:30; 3:35; 14:31).  We would also expect the Lord to emphasize relationship in those made in His image, and He does - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:30-31).  Again, the very essence of eternal reality involves a relationship, namely, the relational Being of the triune God.  Everything He does flows from the love that comprises His existence as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He moves upon and within us to establish, maintain, and enhance the same relational reality and emphasis.  Life is about others - God and people.  So long as we devote ourselves to this essence of Truth as it exists in God, and now in our trusting hearts in Christ, we flow with the current of reality.  Peace ensues, even when our commitment leads to great challenge and sacrifice.  Conversely, if we allow self-centeredness to govern our lives, grave spiritual and moral cataclysm results as we swim against the nature and reality of God.  "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (Philippians 2:4).

   How relational is God?  The cross of Calvary most vividly answers the question.  It does so, however, in the most fascinating and heartrending of ways.  "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?!" (Matthew 27:46).  At Calvary, the Divine bond was shattered for a time as the Lord Jesus "was made to be sin for us" (II Corinthians 5:21).  Rather than love His Son, God the Father rejected, abandoned, and poured out His wrath against sin upon the spirit of Christ.  He became non-relational, as it were, against His dearest and best.  "We did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God" (Isaiah 53:4).   God acted against the Lord Jesus because He so greatly desires to be relational with us.  Drawing us to Himself required the fulfillment of both His justice and His grace.  Someone had to die, someone had to be smitten with utter aloneness, and someone had to cry out into the darkness of God's wrath against sin without receiving an answer   Someone did, again, because God so desires the loving relationship and fellowship of your heart and mine.  First, the Lord Lord Jesus prayed for such grace to shower forth upon us - John 17 -  and then He suffered and died to provide it (John 18-19).

    Today will involve many aspects of life and reality.  Thoughts, emotions, privileges, responsibilities, blessings, difficulties, and earthly realities will parade themselves before us.  We must act accordingly, and deal with the matters at hand.  However, the essence of our experience in this day, and in every day, involves something else, something more, and something of Heavenly substance.  An eternally ancient Glory beckons us to its holy Truth of relational reality.  In God, life is about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as They exist in the unified oneness of Divine love.  Through the Lord Jesus, life now constitutes the same reality in us.  "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).  To love God and others in response to God's love for us and others -  this is Truth, this is reality, this is life, and this is the reason for our being just as it comprises the holy essence of God's own triune being.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.  Nothing else.  Relational.

"God is love… Charity (love) seeketh not her own… Love the Lord… Love one another."
(I John 4:8; I Corinthians 13:5; Matthew 22:37; John 13:34)

Weekly Memory Verse 
     In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and He did hear my voice out of His temple, and my cry did enter into His ears.
(II Samuel 22:7)
    
   
  

Friday, July 14, 2017

“Heavenly Machinations”


"Heavenly Machinations"   
    
    
   Job apparently knew nothing about the Heavenly machinations between God and Satan that occurred before his trial.

   "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?  Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?  Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?  Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and He will curse Thee to Thy face.  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD" (Job 1:8-11).

    Job had no Bible, and since many Bible students believe his chronicle to be the first Scripture written, our brother of old likely had little frame of reference regarding certain spiritual realities.  We don't even know if Job knew that a devil existed.  Thus, he perceived the sorrows that came his way as having come forth from God's hand rather than the power of Satan:  "The arrows of the Almighty are within me" (Job 4:4).  Of course, in one sense, Job's challenges did originate in the Lord.  God knew what the devil would do before He brought up Job's name - "His understanding is infinite" (Psalm 147:5).  The Lord had purposes in allowing Satan to attack Job, purposes that involved Job's growth, the redemption of Job's friends, and countless lessons for posterity's sake that illuminate and inform us.  However, we must remember that the savage assault resulted not from the direct pressing of God's hand, but rather from the fiery darts of the devil (Ephesians 6:16).

    We must also realize that many of our trials may result from similar Heavenly machinations.  As we walk with our Lord, He may bring up our name to the enemy.  "Hast thou considered My servant ____?"  The accuser of the brethren may respond with similar indictments of us as he did with Job.  Our Father may then lengthen the devil's leash, even as He allowed "a messenger of Satan" to buffet the Apostle Paul's flesh (II Corinthians 12:7).  If so, we do well to avoid Job's mistake of accusing or blaming the Lord for our pains. God has purpose in them, no doubt, and He uses them for the glory of Christ, our best interests, and the best interests of others.  However, we must avoid Job's ignorance that can deceive us into erroneously believing ourselves to be pierced by "the arrows of the Almighty" when we actually suffer from devilish fiery darts.  We must and should know better.  Certainly there are times when our Lord directly chastens us by His own hand (Hebrews 12:6).  This is not always the nature of our pains, however, and we must be careful, prayerful, and most importantly, Biblical, in seeking to interpret the whys and wherefores of our challenges.

   Again, Job had no Bible.  He did not possess the permanently indwelling Holy Spirit.  He did not have the benefit of 2,000 years of church history.  We do possess all these gifts.  Our understanding and interpretation of life's difficulties must therefore be interpreted accordingly.  Certainly we will not always know the exact nature of our trials.  Just as certainly, however, we can know more than did brother Job.  This forms a primary reason for consistent exposure to the Scriptures, prayerful communion with God, and regular fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We do not want to wrongly attribute blame to God.  We do not want to ignore the possibility of devilish assault.  We do not want to miss the correction that occurs in those times when we are being chastened by God's own hand.  Job had no Bible.  We do, and it tells us much about our challenges, and how to respond as led and enabled by the Spirit of Christ.

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
(Psalm 119:105)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and He did hear my voice out of His temple, and my cry did enter into His ears.
(II Samuel 22:7)

Thursday, July 13, 2017

“Jesus Will Outshine Them All”


"Jesus Will Outshine Them All"   
    
    
   He walked to the microphone with an appearance that bore no indication of the wonder to come.  A somewhat round man, short and unassuming in appearance, he faced the congregation as musical accompaniment began to echo through the sanctuary of the church.  Few knew what to expect, and I feel certain that many like myself wondered, "This fellow is going to sing?"  Then he opened his mouth, and yes indeed, he was going to sing…


"Mansions will glisten on the hills of glory.
Happy reunions on streets of gold.
Angel choirs singing glad praises forever
But Jesus will outshine them all.

Oh, what glory awaits me in heaven's bright city,
When I get there such sights I'll behold!
A million scenes of rare beauty will demand that I view them,
But Jesus will outshine them all.

Mansions will glisten on the hills of glory.
Happy reunions on streets of gold.
Angel choirs singing glad praises forever
But Jesus will outshine them all.

A sparkling river is flowing, happy faces all glowing
Land of splendor where night never falls;
A golden glass gives reflection to that city's perfection,
Still Jesus will outshine them all."


    I'm pretty sure I've had some musical experiences that were comparable.  After all, I get to hear Frances sing!  Rarely, however, have I experienced as much pure beauty of melodic and lyric glory as issued forth from that brother who now more than forty years ago sang the words above.  The round little fellow had a voice that could escort hearers into those Heavenly places about which he sang.  Most importantly, he genuinely helped all to remember and realize that amid all the glories of eternity to come, the Lord Jesus Christ will most definitely outshine them all.  

   "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us… Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Romans 8:18; Colossians 1:27).

    The Lord Jesus will in fact be the glory of every Heavenly glory.  Not only will He "outshine them all,"  He will shine forth in all.  God's "eternal purpose" revolves around the revelation and honoring of His beloved Son.  He will "gather together in One all things in Christ."   The Father purposes that in all things Christ "might have the preeminence" (Ephesians 3:11; 1:10; Colossians 1:18).  He made the universe through the Lord Jesus, He sustains it through Him, and every atom exists to serve as the holy means whereby the glory of God's beloved Son and our beloved Savior will glimmer and gleam in all things.  

    My brother of old sang of such glory.  He didn't look the part, but how often the Lord Jesus shines forth through vessels that seem the most unlikely.  The passing years have not diminished the blessedness of that holy hour when those who heard "Jesus will outshine them all" realized that we were experiencing a foretaste of such glory as we listened.  I don't know what happened to that brother, or whether he is still on the planet and still singing the song so perfectly suited to his voice.  I do look forward to hearing him sing Up There what he sang down here.  I'm sure it will be even more beautiful, thrilling, and Christ honoring.  But as I hear the sublime echoes of that special hour from so long ago, I'm not sure how, except that our brother will sing his song in the direct presence of the One who will indeed "outshine them all."

"Wherefore God also hath 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."
(Philippians 2:9-11)
"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."
(Psalm 90:17)

Weekly Memory Verse 
    In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and He did hear my voice out of His temple, and my cry did enter into His ears.
(II Samuel 22:7)