Perspective Heart and Obedience

6/14/2009

Philippians 4:17 17 “Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.” New American Standard Bible

What? The apostle Paul uses words like, ‘profit’ and ‘increases to your account’? Where’s he going with this – does it really all just boil down to profit and money and increase!? No

It boils down to perspective, heart and obedience. This church supported Paul’s missions work because they believed in God, and in what God was doing through Paul. Paul worked for God and God paid him through gifts from churches that supported his missionary work. The churches, and in this case, especially the church at Philippi, sent Paul money from time to time so Paul could do things like eat, buy clothes and travel. But they gave because they saw the big picture of God – that He was in the business of saving people; they gave because they were grateful for their own salvation and they gave because God put it on their hearts to do so and they obeyed Him. And that according to Paul was a ‘profit’ that was deposited into their heavenly bank account for a future day in the presence of God…

This makes me do a mental inventory of what it is I am doing and how I’m contributing to the treasury of Heaven where money given on earth somehow translate to reward in heaven and God’s blessing on my perspective, heart, and obedience. God is watching me and keeping my account.

Father in Heaven,

You have given me everything I need for life and godliness. You have given me blessing upon blessing and gift upon gift. Today I realize once again that I need to be depositing into my heavenly account by doing good and supporting those who give their lives to follow You. You’ve made me think and evaluate and now Lord, I need to act in the Spirit and love of the Philippians – and Your promise is what Paul said, “and my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” – it’s in His Name I pray and obey, amen.

Toppling the Temporal

6/13/2009

Philippians 3:19 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

New American Standard Bible

"Whose death uncovers a completely wasted life, whose god is their drive and desire for anything and everything they want without limits; whose glory is in their arrogance and in an adolescent carelessness toward right and wrong; and who focus their minds only on this life…" (Paul Turk Version)

I am revolted by the god of desire and glorying in shame – these are fairly obvious to me and disgusting because I have firsthand experience in both. The more insidious though is the subtle setting of my mind toward what is here and now; like employment and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness at the expense of my soul as if they were some kind of divine entitlement – they are not.

I must guard my mind and strengthen my heart against seeing only this life. I must guard myself from the temptation to live temporally. I must learn the discipline of Psalm 27.4: One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: 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 meditate in His temple.

Yes, I know I must live a real everyday ordinary kind of life with all it entails, but the only way I can do that successfully from a Kingdom perspective and prevent the life displayed above is to live life from the practice of Psalm 27.4; everything I do or face needs to be lived out through those words.

Father in Heaven,

You have blessed me with the gift of everyday life and all it entails – family, work, and the works; but Your desire is to be my desire that, in the midst of everyday life, I find myself looking at all of life’s issues and activities from the vantage point of worshipping You and thinking about the things You think about – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

To Will and To Work

6/12/2009

Philippians 2:13 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. New American Standard Bible

God, according to this brief passage, is at work in me to get me to will and to work for Him. That’s reassuring. So when I see myself cooperating with Him and thinking with my right mind, then I can be assured that He is responsible for my acting that way. And when I find myself at odds with His will and working to serve my own, then I know that I am resisting His work in me – it’s that simple.

I am at a point in life where I really want to will and work for God – I’m just not sure how. I am conflicted with my employment and the future and haven’t resigned these things over to Him; time to repent of that!

So in light of that, I will work to will and work after His good pleasure; the furtherance of His Kingdom and the spreading of the gospel. After all, He is working in me to do the same thing, so I will strive to cooperate and fight daily against the temptation to have things my way, according to my agenda. It’s a fight but according to Paul’s words here in Philippians, God is already on my side!

Father in Heaven,

Thank You for loving all of Your kids and working on their behalf and working in each of us. Help me today to will and to work for Your good pleasure and to be a blessing to others, You guide my future, not me and Lord through the power of Christ help me to get that and cooperate – I ask in His Name, amen.

Given

6/11/2009

Philippians 1:29 29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

I’m told that in the old days when wooden wheels were made for wagons and carriages, the wheel-makers chose the wood from trees at the edge of the forest where those trees had been exposed to the most wind and thereby the greatest stress, thus making the wood of the trees more desirable in strength and quality for making wheels. Sounds good to me; sounds smart to me.

There is something divinely reassuring about the words, “…but also to suffer for His sake…” There is something strangely appealing knowing that the stresses of life where the winds of adversity blow have a positive effect on my faith and my endurance in patience; for Paul said to the Philippians, “For to you it has been granted…” that means suffering is a gift or a divine bestowment of something good.

The world in which I live is not getting better, it’s getting worse (2 Timothy 3.13). But that doesn’t mean the gospel is less effective or that God is losing control – it means that the faithful must remain faithful and one of the ways to remain faithful is to be tested and one of the ways to be tested is to be granted for Christ’s sake to suffer for His sake. Suffering makes the wood of the trees strong and desirable for a greater purpose… not fun, but proven.

Father in Heaven,

You are perfectly good and holy in all You do. You know that I need to be tested because if not, I’ll fail under pressure. So You lovingly grant suffering in my life that I may become the man You’ve called me to be. Your word reminds me, “My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” Thank You for the gift – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Be Strong

6/10/2009

Ephesians 6:10 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. New American Standard Bible

Again we note the presence and usage of the word, ‘be’. Paul urges his readers to ‘be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.’ We’re not to be strong in our own power; we’re not to rely on our own might because these are ineffective in producing any spiritual change and without spiritual change we remain naturally the same – impotent to love; powerless to be holy.

So I look at this and see Paul saying something like, “be strong in your relationship with the Lord and your times of communion with Him; and lean on His strength, wisdom and leadership to get you through.” For me to be strong in my marriage means I must be thoroughly vested in that relationship – for better, for worse; in sickness and in health until death do we part… My relationship with Jesus is nothing less than that (except that He never does worse and is never sick).

Paul could’ve just as easily quoted, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3.5-6 NKJV) Both these verses and Ephesians 6.10 are key to a victorious life and for fulfilled living – it’s all about Him

Father in Heaven,

You know that I am weak, broken, and prone to wander. You know that I need Someone else’s strength because I have none of my own; that’s why You’ve given me the Savior and why I'm to be strong in my relationship with Him – fully committed, fully surrendered and loving Him with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength – fill me with the Holy Spirit to do that today – I pray in His Name, amen.

The Holes People Dig

A Modern Economic Psalm

By Paul Turk*

Oh, the financial holes people dig now

Just to prove that they’re big now

And they’re living, ‘what the frig?’ now

Never caring where it leads

So they build all their lives now

With their kids and their wives now

Filling up their holes and hives now

And life continually bleeds

Chorus

La-da-da da-da da-da-da

La-da-da da-da-da da-de

It’s the picture of humanity

And the holes people dig

So in panic they forget about

The things in life they can do without

When there’s no water comin’ from the spout

And it’s all crashing down

Their m.o. is to reach for the shovel

And try to dig out from their hovel

But real life ain’t a romance novel

And there’re real tears on the clown

Chorus

Our credit debt is going through the roof

Our empty lives are the living proof

The American Dream’s nuthin but a spoof

Most of life has been a waste

If there was just a million more dollars

And a few less collections callers

And it was either all his or all her’s

And in freedom was a just a taste

Would we really live responsible lives,

With our children and our wives;

And turn our ears off to the lies

And trade our culture for God’s grace?

La-da-da da-da da-da-da

La-da-da da-da-da da-de

There could be freedom now for you and me

From the holes that we dig.

*Roughly based on the song, “The Games People Play”, by Joe South – circa 1969

Be

6/9/2009

Ephesians 5:1 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;

New American Standard Bible

‘Be’ not ‘do’. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a letter of marvelous theology and encouragement and there just aren’t that many ‘do’s’ to be found in this epistle. And come to think of it, the ‘do’s’ of the New Testament are, for the most part, do’s directed toward behavior and reflected in loving relationships.

But here in Ephesians 5, is a ‘be’ and I think it’s the best ‘be’ of all: ‘Be imitators of God, as be-loved children.’ In other words, imitate what God does and says. Love truth, wisdom, and caring about and for others. Serve with a loving heart – plan ahead for the goodness and well-being of others. Be creative in other-mindedness and take care of the weak and the poor.

That is imitating God, and that is what we, who believe on the Name of Christ, are to be: those who live, love, think, and act as He does…

Imitating someone is best done when that person rubs off on you – I will spend my days seeking God to rub off on me and to guide me into the circumstances and situations that help me to imitate His and reveal His heart in mine.

Father in Heaven,

How wise and wonderful You truly are. You have called me to live in such a manner as to be a reflection of who You are. Because of that calling may the prime focus of my everyday life be that of knowing You better that I may imitate You in every circumstance in which I find myself so that others may see not me, but You – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.