His Good His Edification

6/3/2009

Ro 15:2 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. NASB

Yesterday I noted the massiveness of the theology, insight, and understanding of the apostle Paul – today I am blown away again by what he said in Romans 15: “each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.” What does that make life look like if we actually do it? I think it makes life look meaningful, intentional and fun. (I realize ‘fun’ is not totally necessary in life but it sure helps take the edge off of the hardness of some of our experiences…)

Paul makes it plain in his words that we are to please our neighbor which makes me think: how can I practically do that? Or what are ways I can please, say, my fellow employees, my family members, the people with whom I go to church or whatever and wherever I find myself in the present of people?

It starts by making my ‘neighbor’ my focus and not me. It starts by paying attention to others and living graciously in response to their quirkiness; and we are all quirky. It starts by controlling (or at least being aware of) my own propensities and preferences and yielding as much as I can so that others may express their own and just be themselves. That may mean swallowing hard at times, and allowing others to live freely from any judgment I may come up with because they don’t match my preconceived pattern for living. But it means living in love with my fellow men because they are God’s creatures and He loves them. It means self-control and replacing ‘saving face’ with giving grace…

Father in Heaven,

You go out of Your way to please Your creatures for their good, to their edification; You see us for who we can be and not for who we are – it’s not too much for me to live like You are, loving and gracious – help me to do that in Jesus’ Name I ask, amen.

Whatever Is Not From Faith

Romans 14.23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. NASB 

If there is one word that describes the apostle Paul, it is massive. Paul was not a massive guy – history says he was scrawny, bowlegged, and balding . Paul himself says he was accused of being unimpressive and had a speech problem (cf. 2 Corinthians 10.10). But if nothing else, Paul was massive – and massively understood by many. It’s not that he couldn’t or didn’t proclaim the gospel – he did – he just said things that left most with their socks and their theological preconceived notions blown away! Paul’s theology, his insight and his understanding were nothing less than massive. 

So massive in fact that I often miss it when he says something like, “…whatever is not from faith is sin.” Makes me want to take a closer look at my own life and see what it is I’m doing that’s not from faith. Maybe I ought to figure out what that might be and in faith stop doing it… The whole argument in Romans 14 is that we are to do what the Lord tells us to do and cut others some slack if they see thing differently. And whatever is not from faith – is sin; like judging people that they don’t see things my way and act the way I think they ought – hmmm. 

Whatever is not from faith is sin. Oooo! Massive words, those! 

Father in Heaven,

If Paul the Apostle was massive in his theology, insight, and understanding there is no measurement of You at all, for You are infinitely beyond that scrawny, bowlegged and balding servant of Yours who represented You so well, and had such a passion for Your truth. I ask for more of what he had and I’m not asking for just a little, I’m asking for the whole enchilada that I may make a difference in my world for Your Kingdom the way he did in his because he knew You, and he knew that whatever was not from faith, is sin – may I know that and live it, I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

A Present Heart

A Present Heart

6/1/2009

Proverbs 21:27 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, 

How much more when he brings it with evil intent! NASB

I looked up the references for ‘abomination’ and ‘abominable’ this morning and found 131 different places in the Old Testament where these words were used. From just from my casual glimpse, I found the overwhelming majority of times the words were used were when referencing idolatry or idols. Idolatry is an abomination to the Lord. Trying to manipulate the Lord by using religious expression is also abominable. As I thought about this I thought probably the closest thing to this in our human experience is rape or child molestation – the taking of forceful or manipulative sexual advantage of someone against their will. Why try to manipulate the Lord if there is no other reason that that of self-gratification? 

My heart must be in my worship of the Lord and my heart must be a sanctuary of the Lord – anything less than that is tantamount to abomination. Sometimes it is easy to fake it, or fake it until you make it, but these also are very serious breaches of relational trust with God. My heart must be with the Lord and must be a place where He dwells – alone with no competition; either motives, preferences or fear.

The sacrifice of the wicked is indeed abominable because his heart is not with the Lord and he’s only attempting to manipulate God and get God to cave to his demands – the sacrifice of the redeemed with an empty or absent heart or with the intent to manipulate is also a very serious thing. Be careful what you ask for and how you ask…

Father in Heaven,

You have called me to be Your own and to be Yours with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. I pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit this morning and the fellowship of Christ as I go about my day that I may keep my heart as a fitting abode for You and keep my motives, intentions and preferences pure before You – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Doggedly Ferociously 2

Doggedly Ferociously 2

5/31/2009 

Romans 12.11 11 "...not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord..." 

New American Standard Bible 

(It is with reluctance that I take this phrase and think – I hate to take 11 words and build a theology upon them, but I think these 11 are worth giving it a shot; at least along with the rest of the Epistle to the Romans…) 

One part of the whole point of our Christian life is that we must be doggedly diligent and ferociously fervent in serving the Lord by helping others (however, whenever the Spirit leads – emphasis Spirit leads). The reason everyone is gifted by God in the Body of Christ (and the local assembly) is so that the needs of each individual may be met by the whole, or by someone(s) in the whole (cf. Romans 12.13). There is no need for outside influence because God has gifted each one in the whole in order to take care of the needs of each one in the whole – that is Christian community.  

So in light of these eleven words, it is incumbent upon me to be daily obedient in being doggedly diligent in applying the Scriptures to my life and spending unhurried time alone with God (U.T.A.G.) and ferociously fervent in serving the Lord by using what He has given me to help others and learning how to do so. I am part of a global community of Christ-followers and I must obey the Lord who has given me what I have to benefit others! 

Father in Heaven,

You have gifted each of Your children and haven’t left one of them out of the plan. It is Your will that we care for one another and accept one another as a necessary resource for our own growth, nurture, and maturity all the while being doggedly diligent and ferociously fervent in caring for one another. Help me to obediently do this with a renewed heart and mind this day and every day henceforth – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

In Love

In Love

3/31/2009

1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all that you do be done in love.

This is probably one of the hardest verses in all of Scripture, for this verse calls for great determination and effort to deny self and live according to what God has desired – loving others. To love means to accept others just as they are with no real expectation that they will ever change. To love means to avail one’s self to God incessantly so that true love may find its root and flourish.

The fruit of the Spirit is love. Love is seeking the best for others often at your own expense. To love means to have your heart broken – repeatedly. 

I really want to love, but most of the time I’m like a bull or a baby in a china shop – one simply moves and knocks things over; the other fingers everything, tastes everything, and knocks things over. 

Today I see what a pauper I am to love and how desperately I want to get over the burdens of my own heart and life. I will avail myself to the Holy Spirit and seek to love as He loves and to emulate His practice.

Father in Heaven,

You love for that is who You are. I want to be liked for that is who I am. But I need to learn how to behave in china shops and how to deal with people. I confess I am not very wise at times and I get suckered in – like yesterday. But Lord more than anything help me to remember that You love me and are teaching me to love as You love and to keep my opinions to myself. Help me God I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Hitler and the Antichrist

Ain't it fitting - we just voted 'Hitler' out of the US Presidency and voted in the 'Antichrist'. It amazes me where folks go in their thinking (and their name-calling) when they don't get what they want or 'it' don't quite turn out the way they planned.  

The American political arena is showing itself for what it truly is - the development of the Government Class... or the birth of the ‘Ruling Party’ whichever you prefer. It seems that “government of the people, by the people and for the people” is as cliché and passé as some would have the conservatism of Reagonomics. 

So 'Hitler' is going into retirement and the 'Antichrist' goes on the clock. One led us into war and the other claims he's going to lead us out. We'll see. The problem is that we the people have not a clue as to what we really want – other than we don't want Hitler, and we seem to want the ‘christ’ or a suitable alternative. We all want a chicken in every pot, a coupla cars in every garage, and a spending spree that never ends, all supplied by our government who seems to know what we want and insists on promising it to us ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

Where do we get the money? The great American money machine is broke because the Ruling Party has forgotten what it takes to grease the wheels of its machinery. Its machinations aren't working - the American people need to be. 

The greatest contribution the 'antichrist' can make for his country is to make Big Government go away. The problem with that is by doing so the Ruling Party cannot fund it's pawns (the ‘poor’ whoever they are and the proletariat of the unions) and persist in its pretend game of progressive politics and political correctness. Ugh, what a mess. The 'antichrist' won't budge and the whole thing will perpetuate...

Unless...

Unless there are those who will wake up from the slumbering spell cast upon us by the mindless media, the errant edu-crats, and the political posers who postulate themselves as angels of mercy and benevolence (all at tax-payer expense.) 

America, wake up! America, look what you've chosen for yourself! A government who is big enough to give everyone what they want is fundamentally evil enough to take it all back or to make the payback so lasting and hurtful that we will never outlive it!

If the last one was 'Hitler' and the next one is the 'Antichrist', isn't it time we looked for a leader who will put government back on the short leash and take its credit cards away? We need people in government who are looking to bolster and nurture the private sector and keep the government the heck out of everyone's business. 

Wake up America before it's too late!

In the Light

7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. (1 John1.7 NLT)

Every night since about this time last year, weather and job schedule permitting, I take the dog for her evening cruise around the neighborhood. Lately as we've approched the holiday (today, Christmas, if you need to ask) there have been many houses lighted with various combinations of holiday lighting. I'm not sure if this is strictly an American tradition but I do know that I like soft light and the glow it casts at night. Christmas lights are especially appealing to me because of their colors and the way their light shines into the winter evenings. The glow is very soothing and comforting. 

As I think about John's epistle and what he said, in the verse above, I have thought that I would like to live in the warmth and soothing kind of light that is displayed in holiday lighting at Christmastime. There is something comforting about this kind of light.

It's not that I don't like the light of day, nothing beats a warm sunny day in my opinion, it's just that softer light is appealing to me. I don't necessarily like the cold and I don't nesessarily like the night - although I am an avid sky-watcher (and dreamer); I think about stars and what is out there where they are. But I like the light that is cast on a winter evening by Christmas decor lighting. 

So when John says that if we are living in the light as God is 'in the light', then we have fellowship with God, because God cannot live in darkness. God is light. God dwells in unapproachable light in that His light illumines the darkest and deepest places in people's hearts. To be able to approah God in that kind of light would be to bare one's soul in such a way to cause immense and devastating grief, guilt, and discomfort, for the hearts of humans are truly evil and beyond remedy (see Jeremiah 17.9).

So I want to dwell in the soft light of God's love that is soothing, appealing and most of all comforting to one who knows his heart has seeds of disease and destruction; and pockets of blackness that are odious and evil. The Christmas lights remind me to walk in His light to see not only where I am going (in my decisionmaking and behavior) but also for the direction of my life (my purpose and meaning.)

Dwelling in the light gives me the advantage of being where God is; and where He is there is the promise of wisdom and direction that always leads to a joyful ending. So the lights this time of year remind me of His light and I find His light to be very appealing indeed!

Here's to living in the light.