Right with God

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Righteousness in simple terms is being right with God.  However, there are two basic definitions.  One is pleasing God by doing the things that He tells us are right, and the second, is to be right next to God, right with Him.  If we are mindful that the Lord is with us, our choice to do what pleases Him is easy. 

The Word in Psalm 37 declares many benefits of being righteous.  God promises to bring forth our righteousness as the light, rising as the dawn.  Even though the wicked plot against the righteous, the Lord will "sustain the righteous."  Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many wicked.  He declares they will not be ashamed in the time of evil and in the days of famine they will have abundance.  The righteous have the character of God, which is to be gracious and give, as we see the nature of God in the familiar declaration, "God so loved the world that He gave..."  He promises that the righteous will not be forsaken but will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.  Furthermore, the mouth of the righteous "utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice."

The point is that righteousness is the currency of heaven.  Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  We are only as rich as we are righteous.  In the world people often consider wealth as money, fame, and position.  However, these items are temporary and can give only fleeting pleasure, but righteousness, being right with God in action and in position, is true worth and lasts for eternity.  

All God asks is our willing response, "Come to me, all you heavy burdened and I will give you rest."  As we humbly come and acknowledge our falling short, He gives the most valuable gift, His righteousness.  We can rest, right now in total peace without guilt or anxiety, in His presence.  He became sin that we might become the righteousness of God.  His death and resurrection is the ultimate provision so we can receive and enjoy the awesome reality of literally sharing His righteousness, being seated with Jesus at the right hand of God.  Naturally from this high position of His righteousness, we have the powerful gift and authority to live a life of love, peace, and joy.  

Take time to receive and be refreshed in the righteousness of God.  Then, aware of your eternal position of being next to God, choose to walk in the choices that please Him.  Enjoy and maintain the righteousness of God, and all else will be added.  

 

Tested by Fire

Jesus endured the cross, despised the shame, because of the joy that was set before Him.

The same principle applies to us.  In 1 Peter 1:6-7, God tells us to rejoice in the glorious salvation Jesus has won for us, BUT... "if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Trials are God's testing to determine how genuine or real is our faith, and to allow us a very tangible way to honor and glorify God.  The Lord is pleased with every godly choice from giving a child a glass of water to laying our life down for our faith.  There is no joy like being able to give glory to God, which lasts forever and is worth a million times the cost now.

Life is filled with opportunities to grow.  Actually, maturing comes from making good choices that make godly qualities a part of our nature.  Everything starts with applying God's gift of faith to accept Jesus and be born again.  2 Peter 1:5-10 would then tell us to add to our faith, virtue, and to our virtue, knowledge, and to our knowledge, self-control, and to our self control, perseverance, and to our perseverance, godliness, and to our godliness, brotherly love, and finally, to our brotherly love, the agape God-kind of love.  When we practice and acquire these qualities, the Word promises we will never fail.

Scripture warns about those who say, Lord, Lord, and then do not do the will of God.  Jesus had very strong words of condemnation for the behavior of the hypocritical Pharisees.  There is a need to demonstrate that we don't just believe and love in word, but in word and deed.  There is parable about two sons that Jesus told in Matthew 21 where the first refused to obey and the second said, "Oh yes, I will."  However, he did not.  But the first son who first refused, repented and did the work.  None of us in our flesh want to obey God, our flesh will not and cannot please God.  It requires a choice, by the power of the Spirit, to put to death the deeds and desires of the flesh.   

God also promises to refine us as fire, so don't think it strange when the fiery trial comes but rather rejoice.  James would give the same instruction, to count it joy when various trials come because they produce patience, that we may be "perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  Psalms, as well as Isaiah and Zachariah, explain that God refines us as silver is refined.  Silver is melted over a fire so the impurities float to the top.  Then the master skims off the impurities.  The fire continues, and the master continues to skim off the impurities until He can see the reflection of His own face in the silver. 

So trials are necessary steps to help us get rid of the baggage of fallen nature and choose to walk in the Spirit.  God, being God, is a very present help in times of trials and openly offers the Spirit's help to will and to work for His pleasure.  Truly, God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

We will be tested by fire.  Rather than dreading the trials, we are invited to see the joy set before us, as God uses these as opportunities to demonstrate the genuineness of our faith and to let Him perfect us through them.  Notice the purpose and fruit of trials in this end-time passage in Zachariah (13:9) about the effect of trials for the people of Israel, "I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God. ”  Trials by fire refine us to declare and confirm that Jesus is Lord of our lives.  

He Opens My Ear

God is not quiet.  He wants to speak to you and direct your steps today.  "He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned, the Lord has opened my ear..." according to Isaiah 50:4.   While this is obviously describing the Father speaking to Jesus and giving Him the fortitude to go through the torture of paying for sin, it is also very directly addressed to you and me.  God hasn't changed and is no respecter of persons.  

Jesus, in His overcoming temptation in the wilderness, also spoke this truth in a different way.  Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhema - the spoken word for the exact situation and time) that proceeds (verb tense - constantly proceeding) from the mouth of God.  Just as bread sustains the physical man, the spoken word from the Father gives life to the spiritual man.  This ever-flowing voice is what makes us live, or if you will, enables us to overcome with the abundant life.  

Often when we wake up, our thinking and feelings are very fleshy, so taking time to read the Word and letting the giving-life rhema transform our thoughts and feelings to His thoughts and ways is essential.  Psalm 23 would confirm this: He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul (my thoughts, emotions, and will).  We let the Spirit renew our mind and re-fill our faith as faith comes by hearing, and hearing, the Word of God. We live by faith, which is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.

Many Christians deny or confuse whether they hear God.  Hebrews 5:14 would suggest that we grow or become mature by practice, having our faculties trained to discern good and evil.   Therefore, the more we consistently take time to wait on God and receive a word from Him, the more our ability to hear grows and the clearer His voice becomes.  It is good to force ourselves to decide what God is saying by writing it down in a journal.  God is the One who "opens our ear to hear" so He is also the One who will confirm His word to help us know His voice.  

We grow from being children born of the Spirit (John 1:12) to becoming mature sons of God (Romans 8:14) when we are led by the Spirit.  Therefore, take time today to read and hear the Word, waiting upon Him to discern His spoken word to you, and write down what, to the best of your knowledge, is from Him.  Review it later and begin the simple practice of hearing His voice each morning to let Him give you His life.  God is faithful and He who opens your ear will help you learn to hear. 

School is Out!

 Yes, classes may be out for the kids, but the real school for all of us is never out.  The Holy Spirit continues to faithfully teach us and show us all things.  His priority, of course, is to reveal Jesus and His Word so that we know Him.  Jesus points out in John 17 that eternal life is knowing God and His Son whom He has sent, which may be why the early church catechism declares the purpose of life is to know and serve Him.  In the days ahead this will be even more vital as Daniel 11:32 points out, that in the end-times, "those who know their God will be strong and do great exploits."  

In Psalm 16, the truth of inheriting a relationship with and knowing God is stated in verse 5, "O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup" followed by David's understanding and description of this special gift, "Yes, I have a good inheritance."  This revelation that God has given us Himself as our portion reminds us of the Levites, who were not given any land in Israel.  Instead, Joshua 18 states, "The Lord is their inheritance."  As Jesus has made us priests and kings, knowing Him is our true inheritance. 

Men on the earth strive for riches, fame, and selfish gain, but everyone knows that heaven and earth will pass away and no man will be able to keep what he has acquired.  Jim Elliot's powerful saying states this truth well, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.  Jesus also warned that treasures on the earth were subject to moth and rust and thieves, so our goal must be to rather "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."  The greatest treasure is a strong relationship with your creator and the maker of the universe, with the One who willing gave His all for you, so you can enjoy the amazing fellowship with the Father and Jesus that has been purchased for us. 

Psalm 16 summarizes the fruit of this lasting, ultimate relationship.  "Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices, my flesh also will rest in hope." and finally, "In your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." 

School is not out, but God does have various seasons.  One may be in a time of classes, a time of rest, a time of transition, however, the Holy Spirit is committed to be the master teacher, and all He needs is a willing, teachable student.  Your time in school with the Holy Spirit to learn the ways of the Lord and to come to know Him is now.  Hear Him. 

Fire to Never Go Out

In presenting the "Final Charge" to our high school graduates, the Lord led me to share a story about the Moravian Christians.  Because they were being persecuted, they fled to Count Zinzendorf in Herrnhut, Germany for refuge.  Unfortunately, there were many scars and much division in the camp.  Zinzendorf cried out to God for direction, reconciliation, and revival.  God gave him a word from Leviticus 6:13, "Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out."   

This "Fire" Word brought about much healing, repentance, and restoration which ignited a prayer meeting in 1727 that lasted for over 100 years.  The ramifications produced much fruit that ultimately changed many parts of the world.  Two of the young Moravian men from this gathering were concerned about the souls of the African slaves on the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix in the Danish West Indies.  However, the only way they could go to share the Gospel with them was to become slave workers, so they chose to sell themselves to the slave owner and became slaves.  As their ship pulled away from the docks, they called out to their loved ones on the shore, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive the reward of His suffering!"  

The "fire on the altar that must never go out" is our laying our lives down because He is worthy.  When our eyes are opened we will see His worthiness and join heaven in crying, "Holy, holy, holy.  Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world."  However, by faith and the Word of God it is revealed now to us that He is worthy.  Worthy to receive the reward of His suffering.  Worthy of every sacrifice, every laying down every misunderstanding, every extra effort to love and forgive completely.  Our example of love, Jesus, demonstrated and declared that no greater love has anyone than to lay his life down for his friends.  Therefore, everything we do out of love for Him, and to let this love motivate us to care for others around us, pleases Him.  In short, He is worthy of it all is our fire.  

May He receive the reward of His suffering in what we do and think today.  Never let the fire go out. 

Present, Past, and Future

Death and life is set before you. We can choose life even in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death. Because we have attended three funerals of saints of God who were friends of ours in the past two weeks, many reflective thoughts are racing through my heart and mind.  Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.  Why is it precious?  The obvious reason is that He longs for us to share His love and glory forever with Him.  Perhaps it is also because it is a holy time of reflection, past, present, and future.

Past, because we tend to reflect on all the special times and ways this person has impacted our lives.  We note the characteristics that made this person unique.  Maybe most important, we have the open opportunity to remember the good and forgive and forget the shortcomings.  It is a time to let go of hurt and disappointments, and instead choose to give thanks for the blessing the person was in our lives.  God's comfort is real and yet it may take some time to let the hope of resurrection overcome our grief and loss.  God even gave the Israelites 30 days to make this heart adjustment with the death of Moses.  

Present, because it is a special time where people pause for a moment in their normal routine to show respect for the value of the life of the person who passed.  We also tend to "be there" for others in order to extend comfort and support at this time of loss.  Family and friends can unite in an atmosphere of love and acceptance with a genuine concern for each other.  Peace overcomes striving and petty differences.  God blesses unity, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity."  

Future, because most people are confronted with the fact that death is a reality, and the need to consider what will happen to them when their time comes.  Often God awakens even worldly people to look at what is the purpose of life.  This "special" time is precious to God as people humbly take inventory of their own lives and their relationship with God and others.  At a recent funeral service, it was my privilege to review Romans 10 and how to accept Jesus's death and resurrection for our sins, and then lead those who wanted to confess Jesus as Lord in a simple prayer.  Only God knows the hearts of those who used this precious milestone to give their life to Jesus or to renew their commitment to Him.  Nothing on earth is more precious than coming to know Jesus. 

A simple prayer based on Romans 10.  "Thank you, Jesus, for loving me and dying for my sins.  I believe you rose from the dead, having paid the total price for my offences.  Because you love me that much and willingly gave your life for me, I willingly choose to confess with my lips, that you, Jesus, are my Lord.  I repent of living my way and choose to set my heart to love and follow You as Lord by keeping Your Word."  God promises anyone who believes in his heart Jesus was raised from the dead and confesses with his lips, the Lord Jesus, will be saved. 

Givers and Takers

The world is filled with givers and takers.  Sometimes it seems like there are more "takers" than givers.  Even though Jesus is quoted as saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," the predominate attitude of our society is entitlement, people thinking that they are entitled to receive.  All through the Word we see this division, this fork in the road, where people are called to make a wise choice.  Whosoever will.  

Unfortunately, fallen human nature is prone to choose the way of the flesh, which Romans 8 points out leads to death.  God sets before us life and death, and even tells us to choose life, but in the words of Jesus, "wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it." (Matthew 7:14)  Jesus confronted this "I will do it my way" attitude in the Pharisees saying He came to give sight to the blind, but because they claimed to see, they were really blind.  Human nature suffers from the same selfish pride that caused Satan to fall.  

One of the most repeated admonitions of Jesus in the Gospels is "Let him who has ears to hear, hear."  Isaiah points out the rebellious people will see and not see, hear and not hear.  Self-righteous people seem to always find an excuse or someone else to blame, rather than humbling themselves to admit "I was wrong."  The blood of Jesus covers all sin and removes all unrighteousness, but it does not cover excuses. 

There is a simple answer to the problem, which makes all the difference.  James points out that the Word of God is a mirror, not a window to view others, which when one looks into the mirror as the perfect law of liberty and does it, he is blessed.  Whether we build our house on the sand or on the rock is determined by our hearing the Word and doing it.  Therefore, my encouragement today is to humbly read the Word, to receive it with meekness so that God's thoughts and ways replace our own selfish choices.  In short, simply do it.  The Holy Spirit is always willing to guide and teach us if we are willing to listen and obey. 

In the world of givers and takers, remember that God loves a cheerful giver.  Whatever a man sows, he will surely reap.