July 20, 2013

"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

I am fondly remembering a couple of Summers ago when I got to enjoy some time with my almost (then) 10 year-old granddaughter, Zoey. We spent the day at King's Dominion. She rode every roller-coaster she was tall enough to qualify for. She even rode the drop tower - 172 foot high that free-fall drops over 100 feet. I watched. She was fearless. I rode the Scooby Coaster with her.

I was thinking that it would be nice to be that fearless. Then I realized that one reason she was without fear was because she was with her dad and her granddad. The other reason is that she was 9 and didn't know any better. Plus, she was more focused on fun than she was on fear. Focus matters!

Those of us who have lived a little longer have learned to be fearful because of our failures, our painful experiences, and our losses. We fear the future because we project our past forward.

The Psalmist boasts about his fearlessness. He has chosen to fear no one. How does that happen?

Rather than project his fears forward, he chooses to frame his future with faith. But faith is only as good as its object. Fear is the result of misplaced faith. If I trust in myself or if I trust in a false hope, that faith will fail me.

His faith is in the Lord's light and the Lord's salvation. How does that work?

One of the major fear inducers is darkness. Most of us are afraid of the dark when we are children. Even as adults we are careful about about going into dark areas. Darkness represents a lack of knowledge, a lack of understanding or knowing the wrong things. Darkness indicates a lack of relationship with God.

God is light. He bring us knowledge and wisdom and insight. We are able to see ourselves clearly and understand our need for Him. He exposes our fears so we can replace them with faith. We overcome fear as we walk out of our darkness into His light.

God is our salvation. Saved from what? From ourselves - our self-destructive nature. From our self-will that rebels against God. God's salvation delivers us from our past and secures our future - in time and for eternity.

Is fear an issue in your life? I am not talking about a fear of roller-coasters, I am talking about fear of the future. I am talking about fear that cripples relationships and paralyzes your potential.

These are fearful times. The days ahead look foreboding. How can we not be afraid?

Simple. Make God your Lord! How do you do that? Surrender your darkness to His light. Surrender your self-will and receive His salvation.

All you have to lose is your fear!

July 19, 2013

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23

 

Here is the testimony of one satisfied sheep! The source of his satisfaction? A very good shepherd!

When was the last time you felt satisfied? What would it take to satisfy you? What would have to happen? What would it take? Do you even know?

How did it happen for this sheep? How did he become so satisfied?

The Present Care of His Shepherd

This satisfied sheep had a shepherd who cared for his every need. The shepherd provided for his physical sustenance by leading him to lush green pastures where he can graze to the full. The shepherd provided for his emotional security. Sheep are not built for swimming. They are terrified of rapidly moving water. Should a sheep fall into the water and his wool become saturated, he become seriously top-heavy and sink beneath the currents. But the good shepherd knows that and intentionally leads the sheep away from the swift streams to the quiet waters.

And, the good shepherd protects the safety of his sheep. He guards them with his rod and his staff. The rod is the weapon used against would be predators and the staff is used to steer a wandering sheep back to the safety of the flock.

If you are not sure what it would take to satisfy you, think about these three things: having a shepherd who provides for your sustenance, your security and your safety. That worked for this shepherd, what would that do for you?

 

The Promised Care of the Shepherd

 

The satisfaction this sheep is experiencing is attributable to the care he is presently receiving from his good shepherd. His physical needs, His emotional needs and his spiritual needs are all being met. That's helpful today, but what about tomorrow? Can I continue to count on my shepherd?
 

The fact is, when the Lord is your Shepherd, the future is your friend! He promises to care for you in the future just as He currently cares for you!
 

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
 

This satisfied sheep shows you that if you can find contentment in your Shepherd with His current care, you can have confidence in His continued care in days to come. 
 

Want some satisfaction? Follow the Good Shepherd!

July 18, 2013

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ." Philippians 2:5

In real estate they say it is "location, location, location". For believers it is "attitude, attitude, attitude." And, I guess you could say that your attitude has a lot to do with your spiritual location!

 

This verse is the hinge point of this portion of Scripture. After exhorting us about our attitudes, Paul points to the example of Jesus and says in essence, "Here's your attitude!"

 

That begs the question, "What IS the attitude of Christ?"

 

Obviously, there was obedience and there was humility but the BIG attitude here is GRACE.

 

It was grace that THOUGHT the plan of salvation. When Adam selfishly chose to rebel against God and wreck paradise, God could have been justified in vaporizing them and starting over. But His response was not vindictive or vengeful - it was gracious. He launched a plan to send a Second Adam to redeem the damage of the first Adam.

 

It was grace that WROUGHT it. God began to unfold His marvelous plan as history became the record of HIS story! Through Abraham, God raised up a nation through whom a Savior would arise. His grace orchestrated all the people and all the events that set the stage for a teen-age Jewish girl to give birth to Jesus in a manger in the stable of Bethlehem.

 

It was grace that BOUGHT it. Grace is free but it wasn't cheap! It cost God all that He had. Jesus demonstrated the divine attitudes of surrender, sacrifice, selflessness and servant hood. The Sinless One resisted all the temptations of the human experience, especially that which brought down the first Adam - selfish desire. Ultimately, the reward for His perfection was death on a cruel cross. In His sinlessness He was able to assume our sin, our shame, our guilt and our sickness and defeat them on the cross. As the words of the song express, "We'll never know how much it cost to see our sins upon His cross".

 

And, perhaps most amazing is His grace that SOUGHT us! He pursues you and me with His Spirit. He proclaims His love and grace through His Word. He presents His grace through people who have been touched and transformed by His grace. And that IS the challenge that comes to you and me. Will we surrender to His grace? Will we be saved and sanctified by His grace? Will we become living examples of His grace through our attitudes and actions? Can He use us to seek others? Will others be amazed by the grace they see in us?

 

If your attitude is like that of Jesus you will grace your world. If not you will dis-grace it.

July 17, 2013

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." James 3:1

 

Jesus told a story one day about two men. One of those men He referred to as "foolish" and the other he called "wise". Other than the fact that Jesus said it (and if Jesus calls you a "fool" you are one) what separates a wise man from a foolish man?

 

 

In Jesus' little story it was the men themselves who differentiated themselves by their actions. The "foolish" man built a house on a foundation of sand. While it was cheaper and easier to build on sand it was also short-sighted. When the first big thunderstorm of the season blew through with its torrential rains and winds the house crumbled as its foundation washed away. The "wise" man build his house on a solid foundation of rock. It is more diificult to chisel through the rock and anchor a foundation there. But the painstaking effort and expense paid off when that storm blew in and washed his neighbor away while his house stood strong.

 

 

According to Jesus, wisdom is not a matter of what you know but what you show! God is not interested in theories, He wants transformed lives. He wants obedience. He wants you to build your life on the foundation of a personal relationship with Him.

 

 

As the brother of Jesus, James echoes the same truth in his writings. He says, "You can't claim to be wise and act like a fool!" If you act foolish you will be judged as a fool. It is that simple.

 

 

Do you want to be wise? Build on a proper foundation. This verse tells you that you need understanding. You must understand truth from error. You must understand the importance of obeying God and living according to His revealed truth in the Word. The foundation of your life must be built on His truth and His commands and His will. You must know it and then show it.

 

 

If understanding is a key to wisdom, and it is, then humility is evidence of a wise heart. Humility is the by-product of obedience. You cannot be proud and obedient at the same time. Likewise, you cannot be wise and proud.

 

 

Intelligence can be measured by an IQ test. Can wisdom be measured?

 

 

James would say, "Absolutely!" In this third chapter he lays out an "OQ" test -an obedient quotient. The wise man passed his "OQ" test, the foolish man failed his.

 

 

How is your "OQ"?

July 16, 2013

"The Lord is my light and my salvation —whom shall I fear?" Psalm 27:1a

One of the first things I remember being afraid of was the dark. Maybe you were too.

My mind could conjure up all sorts of frightening creature lurking in the darkness. It was comforting to have even the small amount of light that a night light could emit. That always seemed to be enough to keep the monsters and ghouls at bay.

In the ancient days of the Psalmist, darkness WAS fearful. Robbers, murderers, and thugs lurked along dark roadways, alleys and corners. Respectable people avoided the dark as much as possible.

In addition to the human miscreants there were demons that haunted the night. Night time held great terror for people of those days. Rightly so!

Here in this favorite Psalm, we are reminded that we have a light to help us not fear the darkness. That is good news since we live in a very dark world!

What IS this light that we enjoy from our Lord?

It is the light of His presence. He IS the Light of the world! "God is light and in His is no darkness at all!"

And, it is the light of His Word. The Word gives light from His knowledge that can guide our steps.

His salvation removes the spiritual darkness from our hearts and opens our spiritual eyes.

Then, there is the light of fellowship with other Christians. His followers are people of the Light so gathering with them helps remove the fear of the darkness! I John 1:7 urges, If we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin!"

Believe the Psalmist when he assures you that you need not fear the darkness when God is your Light! Walk in the joy and freedom of His light today!

July 15, 2013

As you know, Psalm 51 is one of the most honest, intense and heart-felt chapters any where in the Bible. It is also a text book example of how repentence should happen. 

Meditating on this Scripture this week I wondered while I read and re-read his confession it occured to me, "Why didn't he think about these things BEFORE he did the awful deeds? If he had bothered to think with his head instead of his lustful heart, this Psalm would have been unnecessary."

 

That is when I came up with the phrase "pre-pentance" - or confessing the moment the sinful thoughts took shape in his mind. Had he taken each of those THOUGHTS captive by confessing them to God it would have kept him from committing those sins that ruined his life and ended Uriah's.

You and I can certainly learn from David's failure and make a promise to God and ourselves that we will defend against destructive sin in our lives by learning "pre-pentance".

 

Here's what I mean:

 

The story begins in 2 Samuel 11:1-4

 

Let's break it down!
 

1"Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem."

MISTAKE #1 – Wrong Place!   
 

Pre-Pentance – Go To Right Place

 

2 "Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance."
 

MISTAKE #2 – Another Wrong Place!   
 

Pre-Pentance – Repent of Lustful Look and Thought

3 "So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said,“Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

MISTAKE #3 – First Look Was Free – Second One Was Sin.

Pre-Pentance – Repent of Lustful Action and STOP NOW!

4 "David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house."

MISTAKE #4 – Totally Out of Control Now – Abused His Power To Use This Woman AND Betray Her Husband, Who Was One of His Loyal Soldiers. 

 

Pre – Pentance – TOO LATE NOW!

 

Repentance is the only way to be freed from the guilt and bondage of your sin. True repentance to God allows Him to come in mercy and power to cleanse your sin and restore your spirit.

But you could render repentance a rarity in your life if you would train yourself to "pre-pent".

July 14, 2013

".....and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Houdini, the magician, walked across a tight wire high above Niagara Falls. The high wire is stretched tight high above Niagara Falls, and Houdini asks the audience watching from the bleachers whether or not he can walk across that falls high on that high wire. Houdini calls to the people in the bleachers, “Do you believe that I can walk on the high wire across the falls.” The crowd chants back, “Yes, you can do it.” Houdini then loads a wheel barrow onto that high wire and calls to the crowds, “Do you believe that I can take that wheel barrow on the high wire across Niagara Falls?” “Yes,” they shout. “You can do it.” Then Houdini takes a wheel barrow and fills that wheel barrow with a sack of sand, weighing a hundred and fifty pounds.” Houdini calls to the crowds, “Can I take the wheel barrow with the 150 pounds of sand across the high wire?” The crowd thunders at the top of their voices, “Yes, you can do it.” Then Houdini pauses and quietly asks for a volunteer to get into the wheel barrow and Houdini will take them on the high wire across Niagara Falls. No one volunteers. "No, no, no. We don't want to do that."

 

It is one thing to believe that the high wire walker could move 150 pounds across the wire, but it quite another thing to believe in him, to put your life in his hands, to get into the wheelbarrow and have him ferry you across to the other side of the falls. You have to REALLY believe IN him to do that. To trust your life fully in his hands.

 

Have you discovered that one of the things that makes it tough to fully trust God is trusting what He can go in you?

 

It is hard to fully "lean into" Him when you are doubting His ability to use you. Doubting what God can do in you is in fact, doubting Him.

 

I know I struggled four years with surrendering to His calling on my life. My problem was that I have serious doubts whether I could do the job He was calling me to do. I told myself that I trusted Him I just didn't trust myself. I was leaning to my own understanding of what I though I was able to do.

 

My Youth Pastor set me straight when he challenged me with this admonition, "God's call is your enablement. Are you telling me that you can trust God to call you to ministry but you can't trust Him to enable you to accomplish the task?"

As I thought about it I had to admit that was EXACTLY what I was saying. Once I admitted it I had to confess it for the sin it was. Though I said I trusted Him I was unwilling to get into His wheelborrow.

Confessing the sinful way I had been thinking, I began "leaning fully into Him" and "leaned away from my own understanding."

Now, more than 40 years later I can clearly see how His calling really has been my enablement!

Have you been "leaning into your own understanding" rather than trusting Him?