The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together... - Isa 40:4-5
I read the verse above and it became part of what God, my Father, has been working to get into me. Somehow things that seem incongruent are really more linear than I would have previously thought.
Any statement that starts out by saying, "The crooked place shall be made straight..." in my way of thinking, should be followed by a step-by-step instruction of just how either God will do it or how God expects me to straighten (and smooth) my journey through life. But that is not at all the progression of the thought here in Isaiah.
First off, unless we are 4-wheeling or bushwhacking, we all dislike bumpy roads. They are annoying. They are troublesome. They can cause damage. They rattle us. However, when I think about it I have to personally admit to you that, though I know they are the solution, I dislike even more road closures, detours...road work in general. Until the housing and real estate debacle I would tell you that I lived in a growing city and it seems like there has been ongoing road construction forever! One portion of the Phoenix metro or another is a mess, you need up-to-the-minute GPS to plan your trips because of delays, and sometimes you get caught off guard when traffic signs are placed in unusual places and the natural flow of traffic takes you off the main road onto rough and tumble surfaces.
Recently, a friend told me in their town where one of our main local roads was hit with a sink hole in the middle of the road. The road was closed for more than a year. They of course then had to take alternative routes that, I am sure, were inconvenient and annoying.
Sometimes God takes us through our own life re-construction project. Our lives get disrupted, we can no longer depend on the things we did before, and we don't have control over our circumstances or timetable. God is doing major construction. Our response to this often is to try and make personal adjustments. Some of those take the form of internal attempts to make conscious emotional adjustments. Often through what I call "hunkering down," we try and internally conjure up a new attitude about the trouble we've encountered because of what God is in fact doing or allowing into our life.
But, in the midst of the re-construction this verse does not tell you and I to go through an internal assessment. We are not given some 5 step process to change our attitude. I'm sorry Zig (Ziglar) but this is not to get an "attitude of gratitude" in the midst of the detours and struggles of the rough patches of our life.
No.
The glory of the Lord is revealed in that place. In the midst of this, God's glory is found. The only thing we should be doing is expecting to find it. Perhaps further, to search for it and expect it so shine forth either within us or in the midst of the problem. I get a sense that for many it is the first time they've ever seen the hand of the Lord in their life; His power, and presence...His GLORY! The solution in this incongruent little passage in and amongst all the other verses of the Bible is this, "You have a rough row to hoe? Look for God's glory in the midst of it!" I get a sense that when one of God's elect see it, it then become like a lightning rod; others begin to see it too. And to the degree that this process allows them to experience Him, it becomes a place in time and space for His love, mercy, light, wisdom and personal goodness to them to shine through!
The troubled patch, the rough spot is a process they would never choose to go through voluntarily, but it is an experience they value for the rest of their lives because the glory of the Lord was revealed in the process. God showed up. I suspect He is there before we know it. His job is to be there. Ours is to look for Him, expect Him.
Once we see His glory things begin to flow better. Just as the new roads allow you to drive on a smooth, more spacious area, so too God paves a way for you to move into an expanded place with Him.
Isaiah tells us: He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows - Isa 30:23-24.
Be patient with God's re-construction project. You will like the finished project. You will really like you after it's all said and done.
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Well...er...The Reason You See Is....
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:23-25
Everyone I know realizes I am a major baseball fan. This is my season! I had two "stupid human tricks" as a child growing up. First, I could never ever make, model and year of every car from 1947 (I was born in 1952) until 1976 on the road. The other was I could remember the most minute details about ballplayers and the game itself. I loved it! I didn't see it as trivia because I loved it so much. To me it was cool and fun and I suppose it was also important. How good was I? Even my friends, who had teams that they loved more than I did and had heroes that were not my heroes knew less about their favorite players and teams than I did. I hated the Yankees but my Yankee loving fiends marveled that I knew more about Mantle, Maris, Ford, Berra, Richardson, Kubek and all the lesser known Yankees than they knew. You may be that kind of person or have friends and family like that. Well, I still am a bonifide member of this group of trivia containers.
Fans have other traits as well don't they? They have an indomitable sense of commitment, loyalty or determination - okay, okay, maybe "addiction" is a better word! Against incredible odds, sound logic, and even medical advice, sports fans will persevere to the dying end! Difficulties are viewed as a challenge ... never an excuse to stay away or miss a chance to support our teams!
I've often wondered what would happen if people were as intense and committed and determined about their love of Christ Jesus and the Body He died for as they are about sports or any other hobby. This topic was covered some years back in a Moody Monthly piece that illustrated twelve excuses a fella might use for "quitting sports." The analogy isn't hard to figure out.
1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
2. The people with whom I had to sit didn't seem very friendly.
3. The seats were too hard and not comfortable.
4. The coach never came to call on me.
5. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
6. I was sitting with some hypocrites---they came only to see what others were wearing.
7. Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.
8. The organist played music that I had never heard before.
9. The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up. (Hmm...I'll have to ask my boys)
11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.
12. I don't want to take my kids, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
I've come up with a few more:
13. The parking lot (steps, walkways, etc.) was awful . . . I had to walk 300 yards to the stadium entrance.
14. Nobody came up and introduced themselves to me; it was so impersonal!
15. The public address and lighting systems don't suit me.
16. It's always too hot (or cold) in the stadium.
17. It's so loud there!
Enough said. Think it over.
What would happen if we approached our responsibilities to the Body of Christ with the same enthusiasm we give to our hobbies, sports, and other extracurricular activities?
Everyone I know realizes I am a major baseball fan. This is my season! I had two "stupid human tricks" as a child growing up. First, I could never ever make, model and year of every car from 1947 (I was born in 1952) until 1976 on the road. The other was I could remember the most minute details about ballplayers and the game itself. I loved it! I didn't see it as trivia because I loved it so much. To me it was cool and fun and I suppose it was also important. How good was I? Even my friends, who had teams that they loved more than I did and had heroes that were not my heroes knew less about their favorite players and teams than I did. I hated the Yankees but my Yankee loving fiends marveled that I knew more about Mantle, Maris, Ford, Berra, Richardson, Kubek and all the lesser known Yankees than they knew. You may be that kind of person or have friends and family like that. Well, I still am a bonifide member of this group of trivia containers.
Fans have other traits as well don't they? They have an indomitable sense of commitment, loyalty or determination - okay, okay, maybe "addiction" is a better word! Against incredible odds, sound logic, and even medical advice, sports fans will persevere to the dying end! Difficulties are viewed as a challenge ... never an excuse to stay away or miss a chance to support our teams!
I've often wondered what would happen if people were as intense and committed and determined about their love of Christ Jesus and the Body He died for as they are about sports or any other hobby. This topic was covered some years back in a Moody Monthly piece that illustrated twelve excuses a fella might use for "quitting sports." The analogy isn't hard to figure out.
1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
2. The people with whom I had to sit didn't seem very friendly.
3. The seats were too hard and not comfortable.
4. The coach never came to call on me.
5. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
6. I was sitting with some hypocrites---they came only to see what others were wearing.
7. Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.
8. The organist played music that I had never heard before.
9. The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up. (Hmm...I'll have to ask my boys)
11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.
12. I don't want to take my kids, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
I've come up with a few more:
13. The parking lot (steps, walkways, etc.) was awful . . . I had to walk 300 yards to the stadium entrance.
14. Nobody came up and introduced themselves to me; it was so impersonal!
15. The public address and lighting systems don't suit me.
16. It's always too hot (or cold) in the stadium.
17. It's so loud there!
Enough said. Think it over.
What would happen if we approached our responsibilities to the Body of Christ with the same enthusiasm we give to our hobbies, sports, and other extracurricular activities?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
You Can Deal With This Or You Can Deal With That!
Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? - Genesis 3:1
Have you seen the commercial with the Gangsta Hamsters for the Kia Soul? You get two choices of "cool" which actually get reduced down to a toaster and a brightly colored boxy Kia Soul. There is a 3rd choice which is the cardboard equivalent of the Fred Flintstone mobile. But the cardboard option collapses upon itself; not such a good choice is it?
Of course in the real world we do have those kinds of choices all day long. I'm still working on the real lesson of the commercial but it's catchy and sticks in your head. I suppose we can choose practical and more fun (the Soul) or just practical and cheap (An unplugged electric toaster with no personality).
God is big on giving man freedom and boundaries-freedom to manage what He has entrusted to us, boundaries to protect us from evil. It is a kind of "this" or "that" scenario. We can choose but clearly in the economy of the Kingdom of God there are good choices and those which are summarily hideously horrible.
Our typical thinking tells us that God was the original law giver. That He created these boundaries and this was the first form of, "You better do what I say." In the case of those first boundaries in the Eden and between God and Adam and Eve I see this differently however. I'm hoping it's a view from God's perspective. The rule was not set for the purpose of limiting the couple. No, it was the first lesson in understanding the value and the responsibility of bad choices. It was a first lesson in not just communicating with God but truly taking His lessons and thoughts and messages to you personally to heart. They got into trouble when they first allowed His clear direction to be misrepresented and then more so when their questioning caused them to ignore those boundaries.
If you are churched you know that God had provided everything Eve and Adam would need for life on earth. In my mind this is the "Adam Project." He also entrusted them with responsibility to manage and work the Garden. God works and so does His progeny. God gave the two of them freedom in that responsibility. He has those same characteristics and we are made in His image from that perspective. Our mutual substance indicates we, both our Creator and us were made to express ourselves creatively through our mental and physical efforts.
But we are not God. We are merely "in His image," thus each of us has freedom of choices and boundaries in our lives. Whenever you are hired for a job, you must have the freedom to make certain decisions. You must have the authority to manage things within your area of expertise. You must also have limits within your area of responsibility. You need to know where those limits are and stay within them. In the case of our lives we have both freedom and boundaries and to those who recognize God's authority (it is a choice you know) we should embrace that our eternal life is always under the umbrella of God's authority. As a side note, we should also "get" that regardless of politics, our definition of competency, personality and its conflicts that we are also under authority in many other areas of our life.
So, several thousand years after the failed "Adam Project" in Eden Jesus comes on the scene, in the form of a man and is put under the same earthly contingencies that a typical dude of His time faces. He grew. He matured. He listened and communicated with God the Father. This led to a point where He understood the concept I speak about regarding boundaries. Jesus, under the headship of His Heavenly Father, accepted a form of freedom and boundaries that you and I would recognize.
This all leads me to my point (I think). When Jesus was tempted for 40 days by the Satan after being baptized, He was challenged by the evil one to venture beyond His freedom and personal boundaries.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God. ’ ” ; , Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.- Matthew 4:1-11
Now Jesus boundaries were very different than some of ours aren't they? For instance, Satan said to Jesus that He had the power to turn a stone into bread. Jesus was hungry and easily could have justified, from an earthly perspective, using His power to feed Himself. However, Jesus understood He could do nothing outside the boundaries of God's will for His life. Guys, can you see how intimate the Will of God is? There is a certain and vital perspective here. You need to know what it is the Father wants you to do. I guarantee you it isn't discovered at a church meeting, Sunday School, home meetings or seminary. It certainly isn't between the covers of a book (though all of these things have the potential to feed it). It is found in your intimacy with God the Father. In this instance Jesus knew it was God's perspective for Him to eschew the advice of Satan and continue as a man, feeding Himself, in this instance, as a man, with the limitation to not create food miraculously. God was showing His Son that "man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" - Mt. 4:4b. The lesson was personal. It was intimate. It was proximate to Him and He could embrace its power by accepting this boundary.
You and I are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained boundaries. I suspect we normally aren't aware of it. We aren't used to thinking in the way I just described of Jesus. But we have issues relating to hearing the Holy Spirit. There is the obvious of course such as financial problems that have arisen through debt, making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating someone in order to achieve our ends, it all represents rebellion toward God. But what about those gray areas? What happens when we are taken away in our own life situation where we feel out of control and some of the choices seem to be morally neutral. Then what?
We both, you and I need to start on a new path today. Perhaps a good start is a lengthy time of reading the stories of those who heard from God in the Bible to get a sense of just how He might do it in us. We need to spend quiet time "listening" to our spirit. We should write down what we hear or think we hear. We need to surround ourselves with others who are hearers of "The Word" and bring them along on our journey. Ask God to show you His freedom and boundaries for your life. These are meant to bring God's love and intimacy into your life, your heart, your actions...
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Have you seen the commercial with the Gangsta Hamsters for the Kia Soul? You get two choices of "cool" which actually get reduced down to a toaster and a brightly colored boxy Kia Soul. There is a 3rd choice which is the cardboard equivalent of the Fred Flintstone mobile. But the cardboard option collapses upon itself; not such a good choice is it?
Of course in the real world we do have those kinds of choices all day long. I'm still working on the real lesson of the commercial but it's catchy and sticks in your head. I suppose we can choose practical and more fun (the Soul) or just practical and cheap (An unplugged electric toaster with no personality).
God is big on giving man freedom and boundaries-freedom to manage what He has entrusted to us, boundaries to protect us from evil. It is a kind of "this" or "that" scenario. We can choose but clearly in the economy of the Kingdom of God there are good choices and those which are summarily hideously horrible.
Our typical thinking tells us that God was the original law giver. That He created these boundaries and this was the first form of, "You better do what I say." In the case of those first boundaries in the Eden and between God and Adam and Eve I see this differently however. I'm hoping it's a view from God's perspective. The rule was not set for the purpose of limiting the couple. No, it was the first lesson in understanding the value and the responsibility of bad choices. It was a first lesson in not just communicating with God but truly taking His lessons and thoughts and messages to you personally to heart. They got into trouble when they first allowed His clear direction to be misrepresented and then more so when their questioning caused them to ignore those boundaries.
If you are churched you know that God had provided everything Eve and Adam would need for life on earth. In my mind this is the "Adam Project." He also entrusted them with responsibility to manage and work the Garden. God works and so does His progeny. God gave the two of them freedom in that responsibility. He has those same characteristics and we are made in His image from that perspective. Our mutual substance indicates we, both our Creator and us were made to express ourselves creatively through our mental and physical efforts.
But we are not God. We are merely "in His image," thus each of us has freedom of choices and boundaries in our lives. Whenever you are hired for a job, you must have the freedom to make certain decisions. You must have the authority to manage things within your area of expertise. You must also have limits within your area of responsibility. You need to know where those limits are and stay within them. In the case of our lives we have both freedom and boundaries and to those who recognize God's authority (it is a choice you know) we should embrace that our eternal life is always under the umbrella of God's authority. As a side note, we should also "get" that regardless of politics, our definition of competency, personality and its conflicts that we are also under authority in many other areas of our life.
So, several thousand years after the failed "Adam Project" in Eden Jesus comes on the scene, in the form of a man and is put under the same earthly contingencies that a typical dude of His time faces. He grew. He matured. He listened and communicated with God the Father. This led to a point where He understood the concept I speak about regarding boundaries. Jesus, under the headship of His Heavenly Father, accepted a form of freedom and boundaries that you and I would recognize.
This all leads me to my point (I think). When Jesus was tempted for 40 days by the Satan after being baptized, He was challenged by the evil one to venture beyond His freedom and personal boundaries.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God. ’ ” ; , Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.- Matthew 4:1-11
Now Jesus boundaries were very different than some of ours aren't they? For instance, Satan said to Jesus that He had the power to turn a stone into bread. Jesus was hungry and easily could have justified, from an earthly perspective, using His power to feed Himself. However, Jesus understood He could do nothing outside the boundaries of God's will for His life. Guys, can you see how intimate the Will of God is? There is a certain and vital perspective here. You need to know what it is the Father wants you to do. I guarantee you it isn't discovered at a church meeting, Sunday School, home meetings or seminary. It certainly isn't between the covers of a book (though all of these things have the potential to feed it). It is found in your intimacy with God the Father. In this instance Jesus knew it was God's perspective for Him to eschew the advice of Satan and continue as a man, feeding Himself, in this instance, as a man, with the limitation to not create food miraculously. God was showing His Son that "man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" - Mt. 4:4b. The lesson was personal. It was intimate. It was proximate to Him and He could embrace its power by accepting this boundary.
You and I are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained boundaries. I suspect we normally aren't aware of it. We aren't used to thinking in the way I just described of Jesus. But we have issues relating to hearing the Holy Spirit. There is the obvious of course such as financial problems that have arisen through debt, making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating someone in order to achieve our ends, it all represents rebellion toward God. But what about those gray areas? What happens when we are taken away in our own life situation where we feel out of control and some of the choices seem to be morally neutral. Then what?
We both, you and I need to start on a new path today. Perhaps a good start is a lengthy time of reading the stories of those who heard from God in the Bible to get a sense of just how He might do it in us. We need to spend quiet time "listening" to our spirit. We should write down what we hear or think we hear. We need to surround ourselves with others who are hearers of "The Word" and bring them along on our journey. Ask God to show you His freedom and boundaries for your life. These are meant to bring God's love and intimacy into your life, your heart, your actions...
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Monday, April 11, 2011
One Component of Quality as a Child of God
Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me - John 20:20,21
We live in a very odd time. A week or so ago I wrote about the simplicity of life in past centuries. There was a time when we had fairly high agreement from the masses about what was right and wrong and that actions were quite black and white from a moral perspective. A man of character is one that can observe but not be attracted to the idolatry of our time; an idolatry that simply takes anything, good or bad, right or wrong and attempts to have it serve self. Those who do not bow their knee to the culture are people who have declared their allegiance to the one true and eternal King, Jesus Christ. These are people who have humbled themselves in the sight of God and, even when that sight is not within the sight of man.
There was a time when only the great and the gloriously gifted would face the challenge of vanity. It's not so any longer. A nation that has since resigned the concept of greatness has also embraced an immodest version of individuality. We're all special and ergo, we all have the right to elevate self and consider our desires as supreme. In the process of your personal development, you will find great temptation to make a name for yourself, to, by man's account, become "something;" to gain public notoriety, to get the a personal version of the concept of "glory," to increase your fees, to demand your rights, and to anticipate red carpet treatment. You're in authority now! People are standing up and taking notice of your exploits! The temptation is great to consider self first and view others in terms of how they view you rather than caring for them; being considerate and gracious to others first.
To this subject my friend Chuck Swindoll said this, "Let me remind you that if you're in life only for yourself, you'll have no endurance. On that precarious top of the ladder, you'll always have to maintain your balance by maneuvering and manipulating, lying, deceiving, and scheming. But if you're committed to kingdom-related excellence, when you go through times of testing, you can count on kingdom endurance to get you through."
I like that.
If you have the kind of faith that demands to deeply understand the whole purpose of God, then you dare not leave out a personal commitment to the Kingdom of God! This means you spend time alone and apart and that your meditation allows the Holy Spirit to work in you God's good pleasure and a personal definition of His will; which normally translates into His uncovering place His mercy and grace have not 'til then uncovered.
It means that your personal stewardship of time, talents, relationships, assets and finances usually will go through a process of dialogue between you and the great God of the universe. In the end your love for Him translates into His glory in you! It makes a reality of, "Christ in you the hope of (the) glory." It means things will change and your peace and joy will be increased and devotion multiplied.
I'm not suggesting I know what the Holy Spirit and you will come to in these conversations. There will or should be more than one. It should mean that ownership goes back to the original owner and your care for them return to one that honors His faith and confidence in you. The following of me part of that little verse at the top implies much. What it does not imply is that anything more than you should be a concern. You follow as you are led. You do with the stuff that makes up this life as you are instructed. It's a component of a life full of depth and breadth of quality; the kind of quality an eternal King gains honor through and by.
Simple...(smiles) right? I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
We live in a very odd time. A week or so ago I wrote about the simplicity of life in past centuries. There was a time when we had fairly high agreement from the masses about what was right and wrong and that actions were quite black and white from a moral perspective. A man of character is one that can observe but not be attracted to the idolatry of our time; an idolatry that simply takes anything, good or bad, right or wrong and attempts to have it serve self. Those who do not bow their knee to the culture are people who have declared their allegiance to the one true and eternal King, Jesus Christ. These are people who have humbled themselves in the sight of God and, even when that sight is not within the sight of man.
There was a time when only the great and the gloriously gifted would face the challenge of vanity. It's not so any longer. A nation that has since resigned the concept of greatness has also embraced an immodest version of individuality. We're all special and ergo, we all have the right to elevate self and consider our desires as supreme. In the process of your personal development, you will find great temptation to make a name for yourself, to, by man's account, become "something;" to gain public notoriety, to get the a personal version of the concept of "glory," to increase your fees, to demand your rights, and to anticipate red carpet treatment. You're in authority now! People are standing up and taking notice of your exploits! The temptation is great to consider self first and view others in terms of how they view you rather than caring for them; being considerate and gracious to others first.
To this subject my friend Chuck Swindoll said this, "Let me remind you that if you're in life only for yourself, you'll have no endurance. On that precarious top of the ladder, you'll always have to maintain your balance by maneuvering and manipulating, lying, deceiving, and scheming. But if you're committed to kingdom-related excellence, when you go through times of testing, you can count on kingdom endurance to get you through."
I like that.
If you have the kind of faith that demands to deeply understand the whole purpose of God, then you dare not leave out a personal commitment to the Kingdom of God! This means you spend time alone and apart and that your meditation allows the Holy Spirit to work in you God's good pleasure and a personal definition of His will; which normally translates into His uncovering place His mercy and grace have not 'til then uncovered.
It means that your personal stewardship of time, talents, relationships, assets and finances usually will go through a process of dialogue between you and the great God of the universe. In the end your love for Him translates into His glory in you! It makes a reality of, "Christ in you the hope of (the) glory." It means things will change and your peace and joy will be increased and devotion multiplied.
I'm not suggesting I know what the Holy Spirit and you will come to in these conversations. There will or should be more than one. It should mean that ownership goes back to the original owner and your care for them return to one that honors His faith and confidence in you. The following of me part of that little verse at the top implies much. What it does not imply is that anything more than you should be a concern. You follow as you are led. You do with the stuff that makes up this life as you are instructed. It's a component of a life full of depth and breadth of quality; the kind of quality an eternal King gains honor through and by.
Simple...(smiles) right? I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Integrity Where Imperfection Takes Up Residence
Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.” And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.” So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” - I Samuel 16:1-11
Truly, if you and I, assuming you have had a similar life and church experience as I, had someone of note, thought to be a grand leader of the faith and a man of massive political and military importance such as David in our midst and, if we had known half of the things he had done, we not only would have written David out of the congregation of the elect, the saved, the righteous, the blood bought believers but we would have hid our children's eyes as we passed him on the street!
But God knew David. And, had we acted the way I just described, we would have proven that we did not.
God knew David had the quality of integrity. For as many ups and downs and hideously horrible and unspeakable evils that he did, David was a man the God of the universe could count on; both to hear His voice and obey His directives. God could count on it because David, as many times as he might fall, loved Loved LOVED God.
The church comes under massive attack from inside and out because we have bought into a system that says the appearance of right and good and just and holy is as good and maybe even better than the genuine article. After all, if you are just acting holy you can real put on a show! Actual holiness requires that whole humility thing and hey, if you can't be known for your righteous and pure life then why bother? How can you change the world if in fact the whole world doesn't know just how amazingly good you really are? Huh? Huh?
But you will never be a man or woman of God if hyperbole is your guiding principle. Never. You cannot fake it with the Almighty. And, in the final analysis, He is the only one that matters. He is not impressed with externals. Don't get me wrong. I am sure God would have preferred less adultery and killing in the life of David. But apparently actions aren't the whole story. Daddy Father God always focuses on the inward qualities, those eternal qualities that only time in His presence are created .
The love of God and time with God trained David for a leadership role with four disciplines. Now this is just a perspective. It is not the only one that exists on the life of David but I believe it holds relevance for you and I.
First, God trained David one-on-one, alone. David needed to learn life's major lessons with the great Mentor of the Universe, in a practice, before he could be trusted with responsibilities and rewards before the people. Solitude, just you and God, has nurturing qualities all its own. Anyone who must have superficial sounds to survive lacks depth. If you can't stand to be alone with yourself, you have deep, unresolved issues in your inner life. Solitude has a way of bringing those issues to the surface.
Second, David grew up in obscurity. That's another way God trains His best personnel - outside the limelight, the lights, the crowds and the context of the "big picture". Most nearly always those who love God and serve others are first unknown, unseen, unappreciated, and unapplauded. In the quiet context of obscurity, character is built. You learn to hear God's voice and therefore be led by something deeper and with more value to you than the shouts of the crowds, the pressures of friends and family. Strange as it may seem, those who first accept the silence of "no stage" are best qualified to handle the applause of popularity.
Which leads us to the third training ground, David's life was monotonous. That's being faithful in the menial, apparently insignificant, routine, unexciting, uneventful, daily drone of life. Life without the lavish and exciting . . . without the wine, the lobster, the caviar and roses. Just dull, plain, walk-it-out L-I-F-E. It is when life is consistent but more to the point it's constant, unchanging, tedious hours of the otherwise boring as you learn to be a man or woman of God and there is nobody else around to notice or care. Heck! What would they see? It's all just a big 'ol yawn. That's how we learn to make it real and do what needs to be done.
That brings us to the fourth discipline and that is David lived within reality. Up until now you might have the feeling that despite the solitude, obscurity, and monotony, David was just sitting out on some hilltop in a mystic haze, composing a great piece of music, or relaxing in the pastures of Judea and having a great time training those sheep to sit on their hind legs. That's not true. He simply lived what was normal and he fit into it. Yet, in all of his "fitting in" David found God in the quiet. He learned from Him. He honored Him. He did what He did so as to ensure that with God greatness is relative. "Whatever your hand finds to do...do it all to honor God." That would resonate with David. For David reality might be on earth but earth and all its workings are here to glorify God. David found it easy.
So the great struggle a King who craves but always returns to his roots; his integrity. He bows to the King of Kings. He loves on His relationship and fully expects God, as bad as he might have been, to speak into His life and in all of this he fulfilled the role of a man of integrity...ultimately.
Isn't that us? Aren't we "mostly" something but not perfectly and completely those qualities. David had great beginnings. They served him when he came to the end of his days and provided him a path back when he got lost in between. How about you and I? I'll leave it at that. It's worth a thought...
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Truly, if you and I, assuming you have had a similar life and church experience as I, had someone of note, thought to be a grand leader of the faith and a man of massive political and military importance such as David in our midst and, if we had known half of the things he had done, we not only would have written David out of the congregation of the elect, the saved, the righteous, the blood bought believers but we would have hid our children's eyes as we passed him on the street!
But God knew David. And, had we acted the way I just described, we would have proven that we did not.
God knew David had the quality of integrity. For as many ups and downs and hideously horrible and unspeakable evils that he did, David was a man the God of the universe could count on; both to hear His voice and obey His directives. God could count on it because David, as many times as he might fall, loved Loved LOVED God.
The church comes under massive attack from inside and out because we have bought into a system that says the appearance of right and good and just and holy is as good and maybe even better than the genuine article. After all, if you are just acting holy you can real put on a show! Actual holiness requires that whole humility thing and hey, if you can't be known for your righteous and pure life then why bother? How can you change the world if in fact the whole world doesn't know just how amazingly good you really are? Huh? Huh?
But you will never be a man or woman of God if hyperbole is your guiding principle. Never. You cannot fake it with the Almighty. And, in the final analysis, He is the only one that matters. He is not impressed with externals. Don't get me wrong. I am sure God would have preferred less adultery and killing in the life of David. But apparently actions aren't the whole story. Daddy Father God always focuses on the inward qualities, those eternal qualities that only time in His presence are created .
The love of God and time with God trained David for a leadership role with four disciplines. Now this is just a perspective. It is not the only one that exists on the life of David but I believe it holds relevance for you and I.
First, God trained David one-on-one, alone. David needed to learn life's major lessons with the great Mentor of the Universe, in a practice, before he could be trusted with responsibilities and rewards before the people. Solitude, just you and God, has nurturing qualities all its own. Anyone who must have superficial sounds to survive lacks depth. If you can't stand to be alone with yourself, you have deep, unresolved issues in your inner life. Solitude has a way of bringing those issues to the surface.
Second, David grew up in obscurity. That's another way God trains His best personnel - outside the limelight, the lights, the crowds and the context of the "big picture". Most nearly always those who love God and serve others are first unknown, unseen, unappreciated, and unapplauded. In the quiet context of obscurity, character is built. You learn to hear God's voice and therefore be led by something deeper and with more value to you than the shouts of the crowds, the pressures of friends and family. Strange as it may seem, those who first accept the silence of "no stage" are best qualified to handle the applause of popularity.
Which leads us to the third training ground, David's life was monotonous. That's being faithful in the menial, apparently insignificant, routine, unexciting, uneventful, daily drone of life. Life without the lavish and exciting . . . without the wine, the lobster, the caviar and roses. Just dull, plain, walk-it-out L-I-F-E. It is when life is consistent but more to the point it's constant, unchanging, tedious hours of the otherwise boring as you learn to be a man or woman of God and there is nobody else around to notice or care. Heck! What would they see? It's all just a big 'ol yawn. That's how we learn to make it real and do what needs to be done.
That brings us to the fourth discipline and that is David lived within reality. Up until now you might have the feeling that despite the solitude, obscurity, and monotony, David was just sitting out on some hilltop in a mystic haze, composing a great piece of music, or relaxing in the pastures of Judea and having a great time training those sheep to sit on their hind legs. That's not true. He simply lived what was normal and he fit into it. Yet, in all of his "fitting in" David found God in the quiet. He learned from Him. He honored Him. He did what He did so as to ensure that with God greatness is relative. "Whatever your hand finds to do...do it all to honor God." That would resonate with David. For David reality might be on earth but earth and all its workings are here to glorify God. David found it easy.
So the great struggle a King who craves but always returns to his roots; his integrity. He bows to the King of Kings. He loves on His relationship and fully expects God, as bad as he might have been, to speak into His life and in all of this he fulfilled the role of a man of integrity...ultimately.
Isn't that us? Aren't we "mostly" something but not perfectly and completely those qualities. David had great beginnings. They served him when he came to the end of his days and provided him a path back when he got lost in between. How about you and I? I'll leave it at that. It's worth a thought...
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Why Do I Have To Explain Myself to You?
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. - James 1:22-25
I was reading an old devotional that was making the point that once upon a time life was simple and uncomplicated. Oh sure, there were struggles and problems, but they weren't all that complex. Good and evil did battle with each other and, for most of us, these battles were in the sunshine of "the obvious". Our own willpower and our lack of focus were right in there; they stood in stark opposition to one another. In the rugged west we were comfortable with the notion that right fought against wrong in life's main event and not too many folks remained neutral; you were a good guy or a bad guy! There was a clear, unmistakable line between winning and losing . . . victory and defeat . . . accomplishment and failure ... actual war between opposing forces and peace, real peace - not smoldering, game-playing peace which seems in our world to be the norm.
Sometimes we loathed self. When we did and we admitted our guilt and genuinely were ashamed for our words and actions. Thinking of it another way, there would also be times when, regardless of whether it was easy or suited our purposes we sucked it up and moved forward, did the right thing. In America, pride was a function of our focus on doing right and this was something we desired to pass on to our children. And children? Well, they looked up to dad and mom. I recall my uncles telling me grandpa was their hero.
What else was in this mold? How about this, a marriage was fa once in a lifetime deal. A job was for work. A crime was for punishment. Irresponsibility was met with a visual lack of trust, a broken promise put you on the outside with a man and his whole clan, adultery was an unspeakable, hardship was expected and thought to build character, extra effort was admired, applauded and maybe, just maybe the only reason for special reward.
Then, ever so slowly, the fog rolled in.
All the evils of the world, once black as tar, turned strange shades of gray. Instead of our seeing them clearly as wrong or someone's responsibility, they became part of a new social fuzzy logic ... and ultimately "explainable"; rationalized by social and psychological inference, implication, that had much more "significant" and far reaching implications. At the end of the day, society searched for and discovered justification for anything. And the outworking of all this is a remarkable twist, a subtle switching of expectations and definitions.
Our society now protects the guilty (you'll excuse the expression) and it almost always appears, at some level the victim is put on trial. We have seen a turn about in reason years with the advent of the most caustic of all atrocities in the actions of terrorists. Still the guy who uses words like discipline and diligence and integrity and blame and shame who is the weirdo, freaky oddball.
I knew a man who shared his story of walking away from the Body of Christ (His local church) and God when he was confronted by leadership because he did not immediately embrace the drunk who killed his wife. "If a drunk driver kills my wife or cripples my kids, how dare I hate him? We all know alcoholism is a disease and nobody gets a disease on purpose. But if I do hate him and if I'm caught up with such rage that I kill the driver, you can't be angry with me. After all, wasn't I suffering from temporary insanity? (That's a brief disease ... like the flu.)" - and all of that would make sense.
Explanations abound, everything from poor toilet training, battered families and unfair parents to oppressive work conditions and governmental rip-offs. Sometimes in my more maddening moments I entertain crazy "what if" ideas. What if we were suddenly stripped of our twenty-first century maladies and "scientific" explanations? What if there was a resurgence of such dated phrases as:
"I have decided to . . ."
"I will . . ."
"I will no longer . . ."
"I am wrong . . ."
"Starting today, I won't . . ."
That would mean saying farewell to foggy terms like:
"I am thinking about it . . ."
"I'm working on it . . ." and,
"Someday I plan to . . ."
which psychologists, pastors, and counselors worth their salt realize mean little more than, "I'm working out some great excuse for not doing it."
How do I know? I've learned those phrases, too! And occasionally, when I get cornered by a hard set of facts, I dip into my bag just like you do---especially if I'm not ready to come to terms with my own responsibility. Out come those handy little guilt-relieving "explanations."
Little by little I'm learning just how enamored I was of all those catch phrases that made me forget I was on a sinking ship.
Let me level with you. And I say this for one reason only - to encourage you to replace explanations with decisions and actions. If I had continued giving in to those lame excuses, my marriage would not have held together, any ministry I have would have become mediocre or more likely non-existent, I would never have finished even this paragraph, I would not have a close friend, I would have jumped from job to job because of the pressure, and who knows what else!
Jesus was right. After telling His disciples how to live fulfilled lives, He put the clincher on it by adding, If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them - John 13:17, emphasis added.
So, today, you and me, let's get the right combination of learning, embracing mentally/spiritually and doing. Let's allows the cleansing power of Jesus Christ to wash over us. It's part of the redemption package. Don't dive under a pile of guilt! Bask in the warmth of a God who is loving and changing you and I.
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
I was reading an old devotional that was making the point that once upon a time life was simple and uncomplicated. Oh sure, there were struggles and problems, but they weren't all that complex. Good and evil did battle with each other and, for most of us, these battles were in the sunshine of "the obvious". Our own willpower and our lack of focus were right in there; they stood in stark opposition to one another. In the rugged west we were comfortable with the notion that right fought against wrong in life's main event and not too many folks remained neutral; you were a good guy or a bad guy! There was a clear, unmistakable line between winning and losing . . . victory and defeat . . . accomplishment and failure ... actual war between opposing forces and peace, real peace - not smoldering, game-playing peace which seems in our world to be the norm.
Sometimes we loathed self. When we did and we admitted our guilt and genuinely were ashamed for our words and actions. Thinking of it another way, there would also be times when, regardless of whether it was easy or suited our purposes we sucked it up and moved forward, did the right thing. In America, pride was a function of our focus on doing right and this was something we desired to pass on to our children. And children? Well, they looked up to dad and mom. I recall my uncles telling me grandpa was their hero.
What else was in this mold? How about this, a marriage was fa once in a lifetime deal. A job was for work. A crime was for punishment. Irresponsibility was met with a visual lack of trust, a broken promise put you on the outside with a man and his whole clan, adultery was an unspeakable, hardship was expected and thought to build character, extra effort was admired, applauded and maybe, just maybe the only reason for special reward.
Then, ever so slowly, the fog rolled in.
All the evils of the world, once black as tar, turned strange shades of gray. Instead of our seeing them clearly as wrong or someone's responsibility, they became part of a new social fuzzy logic ... and ultimately "explainable"; rationalized by social and psychological inference, implication, that had much more "significant" and far reaching implications. At the end of the day, society searched for and discovered justification for anything. And the outworking of all this is a remarkable twist, a subtle switching of expectations and definitions.
Our society now protects the guilty (you'll excuse the expression) and it almost always appears, at some level the victim is put on trial. We have seen a turn about in reason years with the advent of the most caustic of all atrocities in the actions of terrorists. Still the guy who uses words like discipline and diligence and integrity and blame and shame who is the weirdo, freaky oddball.
I knew a man who shared his story of walking away from the Body of Christ (His local church) and God when he was confronted by leadership because he did not immediately embrace the drunk who killed his wife. "If a drunk driver kills my wife or cripples my kids, how dare I hate him? We all know alcoholism is a disease and nobody gets a disease on purpose. But if I do hate him and if I'm caught up with such rage that I kill the driver, you can't be angry with me. After all, wasn't I suffering from temporary insanity? (That's a brief disease ... like the flu.)" - and all of that would make sense.
Explanations abound, everything from poor toilet training, battered families and unfair parents to oppressive work conditions and governmental rip-offs. Sometimes in my more maddening moments I entertain crazy "what if" ideas. What if we were suddenly stripped of our twenty-first century maladies and "scientific" explanations? What if there was a resurgence of such dated phrases as:
"I have decided to . . ."
"I will . . ."
"I will no longer . . ."
"I am wrong . . ."
"Starting today, I won't . . ."
That would mean saying farewell to foggy terms like:
"I am thinking about it . . ."
"I'm working on it . . ." and,
"Someday I plan to . . ."
which psychologists, pastors, and counselors worth their salt realize mean little more than, "I'm working out some great excuse for not doing it."
How do I know? I've learned those phrases, too! And occasionally, when I get cornered by a hard set of facts, I dip into my bag just like you do---especially if I'm not ready to come to terms with my own responsibility. Out come those handy little guilt-relieving "explanations."
Little by little I'm learning just how enamored I was of all those catch phrases that made me forget I was on a sinking ship.
Let me level with you. And I say this for one reason only - to encourage you to replace explanations with decisions and actions. If I had continued giving in to those lame excuses, my marriage would not have held together, any ministry I have would have become mediocre or more likely non-existent, I would never have finished even this paragraph, I would not have a close friend, I would have jumped from job to job because of the pressure, and who knows what else!
Jesus was right. After telling His disciples how to live fulfilled lives, He put the clincher on it by adding, If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them - John 13:17, emphasis added.
So, today, you and me, let's get the right combination of learning, embracing mentally/spiritually and doing. Let's allows the cleansing power of Jesus Christ to wash over us. It's part of the redemption package. Don't dive under a pile of guilt! Bask in the warmth of a God who is loving and changing you and I.
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Thursday, March 17, 2011
My Internal GPS
There is a kind of thinking that goes like this..."If I am sensitive I will know that God has provided instruction, but then it's up to me." Does that sound about right? Or, maybe you are of a different school of thought regarding you and God's will. Maybe yours is as simple as, 'If I just knew the Bible better I could better understand God's will." Or, maybe yours is more mystical or more practical than either of the above. Nonetheless, there is a part about knowing and a part about doing.
My experience is this, those who are most in love with Jesus; those who crave Him most deeply and glorify Him most easily do not seem to have much of a problem with the whole issue of God's leading in their life. It just sort of flows.
Period.
The focus of our attention should be on the relationship that Jesus Christ came to earth to re-establish with us and that is, to get us back to a place where we realize and fully embrace God's love, acceptance and forgiveness and desire to provide direction for our lives so we can snuggle into a relationship with Him. The rest seems to just fall into place.
But, regardless, we must accept His instruction and apply it to our lives in order to see that He is in fact working in us and through us for His good pleasure and our fulfillment. It is then, and only then, that we can expect to cash in on the benefits of His leadership in our lives. My friend Chuck Swindoll would say, "application is the link between (God's) instruction and change (in our lives)."
I'm not sure that is what God is concerned about. Therein lies the rub. God doesn't lead us just so we do stuff. The end game for our lives isn't but it does include it.
Let's look at a realistic metaphor for this scenario and our most common way of interpreting what God requires of us.
Imagine that you work for a company whose president must travel out of the country and spend an extended period of time abroad. So he says to you and the other team members, "Look, I'm going to be gone to Outer Mongolia. While I'm gone, I want you to pay close attention to the business. You manage things while I'm away. I will be in communication with you regularly. It most likely will be snail mail since I'm not sure that I'll always have Internet or that my cell phone will work there. But, when I do communicate, I will instruct you as best I can given your situation and give you what you should do from now until I return from this trip. The direction that I want you to take the company will be outlined in writing." Everyone agrees. He leaves and stays gone for a couple of years. During that time he writes often, calls when he can, and tries to find enough Internet signal to E-Mail if possible...the point is though he is communicating his desires and concerns and most of the time, as he had indicated it was by written communiqué primarily. The more personal messages seemed to be fewer and farther in between.
Finally he returns.
In the very same way, God has sent us His instructions. But how do we use it? Did it provide you with an ability to understand general instruction (love, don't lie, cheat, steal, assist, care, show mercy, forgive, redemption story, how end times will occur, etc.)? Did you see the pattern of how you should be responding in life based on what you read? Was the written signals God has given you enough of a link for you to more deeply understand personally how you should act or, more importantly, when He is speaking to your spirit (heart, soul, mind, etc.) is the general messages and examples enough of a framework that you can discern His intimate communication to you?
God has preserved every word of much of His hearts desires and even provided great examples of how to live them out in a Book, the Bible. It's all there, just as He communicated it to us. When He returns for His own, He is not going to ask us how much we memorized or how often we met for study. No, He will want to know, "What did you do about my instructions; more succinctly, the ones I gave to you personally? Did any of your time in study of the Bible, did it link in to our specific times of discussion, meditation, and personal communication? Did you even listen during our one-on-one Skype calls? Were you even there? Did you even have any with me? Didn't you get that from the big black bound book; that I desire to speak directly into the lives of my children?"
One leads to the other. The Bible gives us hope. Not just the hope of salvation but the hope that God turns his attention and in earth time that attention is aimed directly to people who are very much like you and I. Just folks. Oh sure, a few Kings and prophets along the way got messages from Him. But our father spoke to white collar and blue collar working stiffs too. He spoke to children and to women and to people of ethnicity's very unique from one another. It is a message to you: I want to have your attention and time and I want to be your greatest lover and fan. Most important of all, He spoke personally to them.
Remember, it to rebuild the bridge and loving, personal communication and relationship... that is what Jesus came to do...to put you and Abba Father back together again. So, when you read the Bible what are you hearing in your heart? How is it changing, affecting and guiding your actions...your life?
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
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