He Knows

7/31/2009

John 2:24-25 "24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man." New American Standard Bible

The other day while I was at work, I teased an elderly customer about shaking paint – she wanted me to shake it in the machine and I just shook it with my hands; cute – I knew I could get away with being cute and she didn’t seem to mind. Jesus, on the other hand, knew His audience – He knew all men, and still does. He knows what is in man. I need to really believe that…

Jesus knows what we were created to be and what, because of our insane and rebellious choices, we’ve become. Jesus created us. Jesus knows we are broken (unfixable), desperate, unhappy, unfulfilled, confused, easily influenced and prone to sin – helplessly prone to sin. So rather than come to fix in us what is un-fixable, Jesus came to create something new in us by buying us back – that’s called redemption. Jesus paid the full retail price – the MSRP – for broken and useless parts in order to create something new that would never wear out and never break down again. Yes, Jesus knows His audience, and He knows what He is doing.

And my part in all this? My part is to quit trying to show Jesus that I don’t need fixed, that I’m already good enough. My part is to cooperate with His new creative process and allow Him to do in me all that He has planned to do since before the world was ever created. I am to allow the Creator God to recreate in me something new so that the old and unfixable will each day, like old skin, dry out, decay, fall off, and blow away.

Father in Heaven,

You’ve designed it as a journey that starts, ends, and culminates in You. The outer unfixable part of me is irrevocably dead and decaying; the new part of me is being renewed every day as I come to You and cooperate with You in that process – for You know what is in me and You know what You are doing in me, to me and through me. I am Yours and I ask that You do what You’re going to do in my life – because You know me and You love me anyway. I pray in Christ’s Name – Creator God – amen.

I See You

7/30/2009

John 1:48 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” New American Standard Bible

Jesus nailed Nathanel (v. 47) and Nathanel, perhaps a little self-conscious, asked the Lord to verify His statement. Jesus responds by saying, "Before Philip came looking for you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” I don’t think Nathanel thought anyone saw him and I think it was a private moment that only God could see. God+Jesus+see=belief… surely it meant proof that Jesus knew what He was talking about.

God is watching us. That may make some a little self-conscious and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A little self-consciousness helps, perhaps, to clean up one’s thoughts; to reassure that God really is involved and really does care. I think Nathanel thought he was on a desert island amidst a stormy sea of Pharisee-ism, Sadducee-ism, Zealot-ism, and 'just-don’t-give-a-crap-anymore-ism'. I think Nathanel loved God and was doing his best to serve Him, but though he was a believer, life was beating him down and he wondered if all he did was for anyone’s good other than his own; and maybe that was evaporating as well.

But God did see him under that fig tree and God saw his heart and God loved him and cared for him and marvel of marvels – God revealed Himself to Nathanel. And Nathanel believed.

God sees me – as Tommy* wrote,

“He knows my name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

and He hears me when I call.”

God knows me and God cares about me. God desires that I grow in faith and that I learn to trust Him more and more. God sees me and has revealed Himself to me – not exactly as He did to Nathanel, but enough so I could believe in what He has done for me and so that, in return, I may live for Him.

Father in Heaven,

You do know me and You have called me and Your purposes will be worked out in my life; and I will follow You all the days of my life – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

*Tommy Walker

“He Knows My Name”

© 1996 Doulos Publishing Maranatha Music

Found

7/29/2009

2 Peter 3:14 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,

New American Standard Bible

When the Lord comes looking it is best to be found in peace – the kind that passes all understanding and with no animosity in our hearts. It is best also to be found spotless and clean with no sin lurking and finding strength in our weakness. And it is best to be found blameless and not the cause of evil or wickedness not to be a partner with such that is in the world. And because it is best to be found this way it is important to make this the most important thing in one’s life – right next to loving Him and loving others.

Diligence is usually found where we place our priorities. Normally we are diligent about the things we care about. I am learning to care about God more than anything else and I am finding a hunger growing in me to be at peace with my circumstances and station; spotless in my inner man and blameless in my conduct in the world. That is what is important to me and ever-growing so. Therefore I’m finding that my diligence is to keep the culture around me at bay and to find myself occupied and pre-occupied with the Lord. There is, for me, no other choice and no other meritable occupation.

Father in Heaven,

Lord God, Holy and true

I find myself wanting only to be with You.

May I live each day in Your temple place,

Admiring Your beauty and seeking Your face.

And when I see my sins coming by,

I’ll run to the shelter of Your wings on high.

When at last Your face I truly see,

I want to be found in peace, truth and purity.

Because of Jesus I sing – amen.

But

7/28/2009

2 Peter 2:1 1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

New American Standard Bible

Peter’s description of false teachers and their destructive heresies in this part of his letter is astounding. He removes the masks that they hide behind and exposes them for what they are – big trouble – that initially looked safe and good. Big trouble, be it in the church, in the home, in relationships, at work, or wherever, usually starts with something very small and seemingly innocent; perhaps even looking (or sounding) good…

I am called before God to be careful and to consider what it is I believe and how I got to where I believe it. The word of God is to be my Standard by which I measure my thoughts, speech and conduct. Because no matter how good I think my life is there is always the possibility of a ‘but’. That calls for a thoroughness in the inspection of my thinking and what I hold dear to make sure it is the real deal and not just some good-looking counterfeit that will lead to a ‘but’.

Father in Heaven,

You made fail-safes for Your children, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be ‘but’s’. Isaiah wrote, “no weapon that is formed against you will prosper” so we can believe it will be formed against us and for our destruction. But by clinging to You and listening carefully and quietly to You I am protected against such weapons and against the smallest seeds that grow into the biggest trouble. Peter’s words are a reminder to me to be careful and may I do so by sitting quietly at Your feet, listening to and doing everything You say – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Stumble-Proof

7/27/2009

2 Peter 1:10 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; New American Standard Bible

These days we hear the term, ‘recession-proof’. Many are looking for a way to beat the recession and maintain the financial standard of living they’re used to. Bicycle sales and repair are recession-proof. In good times bikes are toys and in bad times they are transportation. Food is recession-proof provided the vendor can maintain his margins and make a profit. Mortuaries are recession-proof because dying doesn’t stop when money gets tight; dying doesn’t stop – period.

Peter urges us to be diligent in making our calling and election sure – that isn’t to check up on God, it’s to check up on the condition of our hearts to make sure we are maintaining our end of the bargain in loving obedience. And then Peter makes the magic statement: “…for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble…” By practicing (or living the Kingdom way) we will never stumble in our relationship with the Lord – our walk with Him will be stumble-proof.

I must be diligent about His calling me and choosing me by living according to my relationship with Him! That means I must live simply and guard against the pull of the culture around me. That means I must not allow my guard to be down in spiritual matters or in walking in the disciplines of the Christian life; I must have moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. These things must be the hallmarks of my life and the fruit of my relationship with Christ. Or I’m just kidding myself. And I don’t want to do that…

Father in Heaven,

As You have called me and chosen me, I thank for Your grace to walk victoriously in the things that Peter describes. I pray to be Your good disciple, and for courage to tackle the things in me that get in the way of my diligence in holy practice. Most of my problems are not external but internal and I pray for the internal help of the Holy Spirit to lead me – stumble-proof – in the way I should go – I’m trusting You for that in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Deep Impact

7/24/2009

I Peter 3.2 2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. NASB

Although Peter’s words are primarily directed to wives in this context there is something to be said for the impact of behavior in the life of a Christian. It’s more likely that our actions will speak much louder than our words; that people will see Christ in us before they hear Christ in us. And it ain’t just for the women folk – we men must get it as well that we are to go into all the world and preach Christ…if necessary through words.

My conduct is very important because people are watching me and sizing up my faith by the way I act. I think my boss may have had his doubts yesterday. I am to represent Jesus as a complete package – in thought (which manifests itself in my judgment), more importantly, in word (which others hear) and most importantly, in deed (which others see and make judgments about me). I can bring my life before God in the morning and make a commitment to follow Him but it’s when I play back the tapes at the end of the day and review how I’ve done that shows how well I did, and where I need to repent and start all over again.

Father in Heaven,

You require all of me – body, soul, and spirit. And because You do, help me to be the complete package in my private thoughts and conversations that no one can hear; in my words that they can; and in my behavior which they see and decide if this Jesus I proclaim is the real Deal. I offer myself to You again this day to live for You and pray that my behavior will make a difference – in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Valuable Discussions

7/23/2009

I Peter 2.7 7This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone," NASB

Last evening I had a conversation with a person who is caught up in the concept of an expanding universe and what she termed, ‘dark energy’. (I’m assuming it is called dark because it’s unseen and mysterious.) My question is, if the universe is expanding, then what is it expanding into? If the universe which is comprised of matter and space is expanding, then surely it is expanding into more space isn’t it?

These are big concepts and surely things that aren’t easily explained. I find in most of these kinds of conversations however, God is left out of the picture. That’s because He is, “the Stone which the builders rejected…” All of the collective knowledge of earth amounts to bupkis if God is left out of the equation – and the one who leaves Him out, is a fool.

But He is a value or benefit to those who believe for He is the Answer to whether or not the universe is expanding, and what really matters. What really matters is living for Him (and with Him and through Him) and loving people the way He does. God isn’t soft-serve, nor is He hard-as-nails; but He isn’t to be left out of conversations about the universe He created; and the one that does so, does to his own hurt. To leave God out is to let in everything that is evil and hurtful.

Jesus Christ is the Precious Cornerstone of my conversation and He is of infinite value to me – and I to Him!

Father in Heaven,

You made it all, and You started it all – therefore You aren’t to be left out of any discussion, and the one who does so does to his own disservice. The dumbest guy in the world is the one who shuts the door to the reality of You. May I boldly share You in some way in every conversation today and may You get all the glory – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.