Have you ever sat in an airport or a busy mall, and just watched and studied people who go by. What is on their minds, where are they headed, what is important to them, what is driving them to do the things that they do, and who do they love and who loves them? Going a little deeper, what does God see and think when He looks at them? What does He see when He looks at me?
Fallen man, our flesh which looks out for ourselves as number one, will and cannot please God. So since, according to Revelation 4, all things were created for His pleasure, we need to change the way we think from "me" centered to become "pleasing God" motivated. It follows that the way most people live life, the things that they do and what they are concerned about, fall short of the real purpose of life.
It is not in a man to change himself. First, we need to come to the place where we need a savior. In Colorado there is a bridge at Royal Gorge above the Arkansas River that is more than a 1000 feet over the river below. If I happened to slip and fall over the edge, with sheer rock on both sides and sure death ahead, my first impulse would be to cry, JESUS SAVE ME! Clearly this really is the position that sinful man is in, because the wages of sin are death. Usually it takes something desperate to happen before our eyes are opened to see it, and do cry out for help.
Continuing with the example, if Jesus reached down from heaven and grabbed my hand, do you think that I would argue or tell Him which way I want to go? Of course not, if He said "do this" my answer would be a quick and sincere, "Yes, sir." So the second step in pleasing God is to learn what He wants. God says His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. So there is a genuine learning curve needed where "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little" we can learn what pleases Him and be transformed in the way we think. Jesus said it this way, if you continue in My Word, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."
If we are created for God's pleasure, what pleases God? Jesus said it is not those who say "Lord, Lord" but those who do the will of the Father. A good study of the Word of God provides many instructions explaining God's way of walking in the spirit verses man's way of choosing the flesh. God calls this the difference between life and death with the instruction, choose life!
There is a promise in Psalm 147 that says the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him and in those who hope in His mercy. Fear of the Lord is a strong concept, much more than being afraid, that suggests pleasing God is our greatest concern, above what others think, above our physical desires, and stronger that our cultural and family background. It is the motivation that make us willing to turn from sin and selfish desires.
You don't get fear of the Lord by just saying "okay, I have it." It has to be revealed. God says in Psalm 34, "Come, you children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord, who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you.
Agree with Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:9, who states that whether I live or die, my aim is to please Him.
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Who Do You Think You Are?
These are the times that try men's souls. Yet they also are the times which force us to consider who we are and where we are going. Nothing gets our attention like trouble. In these times our first impulse is to turn to God and cry out for help.
Yet, something deeper is happening than just our current pandemic situation. There is a shaking of the whole normal order of life, which brings us to ask some important questions beyond just are we going to get through this. The heart of all questions is who am I?
First, you didn't come into being by any effort on your part. Secondly you would not have made it if someone didn't love you, take care of you, and help you to grow up. And thirdly, you have somewhere acquired some meaning and direction for which you live and do the things you do. The Word would say that you are "From Him, through Him, and for Him.
From Him. In reflection this week, the Holy Spirit opened my mind to consider that I am an eternal being. Somehow I was given existence and I will always be. My flesh can;t handle the thought of always being and I want to shudder thinking what that may mean. Just the same, that is the way it is. On the other hand, all I can do is be thankful, thankful that Someone created me a living person, that others nurtured and invested their efforts to raise me, and that through the people and experiences of life, God has given meaning and direction in living out my life.
Through Him. Likewise, along the way, God has always been with me. Life has a way of confronting us with challenges, problems, and choices, some of which we completely fail. Yet, in looking back, God has always been with me and given me the strength and peace to overcome and move forward. Through it all, He gracious;y revealed Himself to me and allowed me to understand His Word, His love, and promises.
.
For Him. Without a vision, people perish. In the process of the business and responsibilities of life, somehow God has given me the motivation and enjoyment of being the person He made me and using the talents that I have. He calls me to be faithful to His calling and what He has given. The reason I live is to please Him.
In reading Psalm 119 this morning, it was easy to be reminded how awesome and eternal, yet gentle and delightful God's Word is. We are the most blessed people on earth (Psalm 21:4) to know Him and to have His Word in our hearts and minds. It blows my mind, too much to handle, when I consider the eternal plan of goodness and complete fulfillment God has for me, forever. (to give me a future and a hope) So I am who He says I am, I live because He created me, I will make it because He is with me, and finally I will live abundantly forever because He is that kind of loving, forgiving, awesome God who has provided it all from start to finish. What a joy and privilege to know and love Jesus, embrace the presence of the Spirit each day, and cry "Abba Father" to the living God. No wonder we will join the angels and saints in crying, "Holy, Holy, Holy" forever.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Fight the Good Fight of Faith
Lord Jesus,
You are here, moving in our midst, I worship you, I worship you.
You are here, working in this place, I worship you, I worship you.
The words of the song Waymaker are a great reminder that God is always here and working for our good. The challenge is to keep this truth central in our heart and thinking. Paul encourages us to fight the good fight of faith, because without faith it is impossible to please God. As Hebrews 11:6 states, "for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Clearly a lot of things are being shaken right now. Panic, fear, uncertainty, insecurity, worry and even doubt are influences of the enemy that can easily attack our thinking. My prayer is, "Holy Spirit, help me take every thought captive to obey the knowledge of Christ." according to the instruction in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. So when I am challenged with a fear or doubt, I deliberately declare a Bible verse such as "By His stripes I am healed" or "No weapon formed against me will prosper." or "Thanks be to God who always leads me in triumph." Jesus quoted the Word when the enemy challenged Him.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit reminds me that all authority in heaven and earth are in the name of Jesus, and He has given me authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. So then I declare, "In the name of Jesus, fear be gone." and often I just simply say, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" until the negative thoughts lose their power and leave.
Jesus reminded us that after the demon is cast out, it is necessary to fill the "house" with new furniture. So I begin filling my mind and heart with thanksgiving, with reminding myself of all God has done for me. Or I begin thanking Jesus for taking those stripes for me and I try to picture Him being beaten. It is also helpful to just declare God's truth from the Word about the situation. Maybe you should write a list of verses that God quickens to you in your quiet time each day, so you have a fresh anointed Word to stand on.
"Thou does keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee," (Isaiah 26:3) Why does Philippians 4:7-8 encourage us to think about what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praiseworthy? The reason is simply because our fallen human nature gravitates toward the negative. You recall that the Israelites in the wilderness were always complaining. Therefore, since God's ways are always the opposite of man's ways, this means we have to choose God's way, choose life, rather than the ways of death that our flesh produces.
The best way to fight the good fight of faith is to let praise and the Word of God fill our mind. When the battle of our thoughts gets tough, it is time to declare God's Word out loud and praise Him for all He has done. Sing songs of worship, especially those that are Bible verses, to help us keep the Word of God in our heart and on our lips. Several Scriptures such as Psalm 1:2, Joshua 1:8, and Proverbs 4:20-23 all declare the necessity and blessing of letting the Word abide in you and continuing to speak it into life. It is as simple as saying, "No, devil, you are a liar, I choose to declare God's truth." Don't give up. All those who use their faith overcome the evil one. We will be eternally grateful that we chose to "Fight the good fight of faith."
You are here, moving in our midst, I worship you, I worship you.
You are here, working in this place, I worship you, I worship you.
The words of the song Waymaker are a great reminder that God is always here and working for our good. The challenge is to keep this truth central in our heart and thinking. Paul encourages us to fight the good fight of faith, because without faith it is impossible to please God. As Hebrews 11:6 states, "for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Clearly a lot of things are being shaken right now. Panic, fear, uncertainty, insecurity, worry and even doubt are influences of the enemy that can easily attack our thinking. My prayer is, "Holy Spirit, help me take every thought captive to obey the knowledge of Christ." according to the instruction in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. So when I am challenged with a fear or doubt, I deliberately declare a Bible verse such as "By His stripes I am healed" or "No weapon formed against me will prosper." or "Thanks be to God who always leads me in triumph." Jesus quoted the Word when the enemy challenged Him.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit reminds me that all authority in heaven and earth are in the name of Jesus, and He has given me authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. So then I declare, "In the name of Jesus, fear be gone." and often I just simply say, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" until the negative thoughts lose their power and leave.
Jesus reminded us that after the demon is cast out, it is necessary to fill the "house" with new furniture. So I begin filling my mind and heart with thanksgiving, with reminding myself of all God has done for me. Or I begin thanking Jesus for taking those stripes for me and I try to picture Him being beaten. It is also helpful to just declare God's truth from the Word about the situation. Maybe you should write a list of verses that God quickens to you in your quiet time each day, so you have a fresh anointed Word to stand on.
"Thou does keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee," (Isaiah 26:3) Why does Philippians 4:7-8 encourage us to think about what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praiseworthy? The reason is simply because our fallen human nature gravitates toward the negative. You recall that the Israelites in the wilderness were always complaining. Therefore, since God's ways are always the opposite of man's ways, this means we have to choose God's way, choose life, rather than the ways of death that our flesh produces.
The best way to fight the good fight of faith is to let praise and the Word of God fill our mind. When the battle of our thoughts gets tough, it is time to declare God's Word out loud and praise Him for all He has done. Sing songs of worship, especially those that are Bible verses, to help us keep the Word of God in our heart and on our lips. Several Scriptures such as Psalm 1:2, Joshua 1:8, and Proverbs 4:20-23 all declare the necessity and blessing of letting the Word abide in you and continuing to speak it into life. It is as simple as saying, "No, devil, you are a liar, I choose to declare God's truth." Don't give up. All those who use their faith overcome the evil one. We will be eternally grateful that we chose to "Fight the good fight of faith."
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