Making Jesus a Beggar

Jesus called to me yesterday, and I did not answer.   Instead, I filled my day with good things, which were "lesser things".  And, as the day went on, I became more and more miserable in my spirit.
What?  Did you think that this never happened on the resplendent walk?  ;)

So, I rose from the bed this morning, just as miserable as when I laid down on it last night. 
And, again....He called (louder this time).

Begrudgingly, knowing all along my attitude stank, I met Him in a John Piper devotional, where I received a great, big smack upside the head, followed by a loving embrace.

Let me share, piece by piece, this latest little leg of my journey.

Yesterday, I began to do three things simultaneously:
1.  neglect my quiet time with the Lord
2.  tackle a long list of "to dos", which I believed I was "to-doing" for His glory
3.  focus my emotional energy on troubling circumstances I am unable to change

It did not go very well.  God was not glorified, nor was I very "resplendent".

John Piper made this statement in his Solid Joys devotional for this morning.1
"It is possible to pursue God without glorifying God.  If we want our quest to honor God, we must pursue him for the joy of fellowship with him."

Read that again (I had to.)  Are you getting what he is saying here?  I just sort of sat there this morning, stunned at the reminder....not to mention the "uncanny" timeliness of it.

We do not "glorify God" by all the things we "do out of love" for Him.
We bring Him the most glory by enjoying His presence and worshipping Him there.

Satan is awfully good at activating what I call our "spiritual ADD".  PIper quotes C.S. Lewis, who put it like this:  "We are far too easily pleased."
Satan knows that if he can pull us away from time spent in our Savior's presence, in His word, in prayer, that he can weaken us spiritually, often without us realizing what is happening.
Because, you see, those "lesser things" look so GOOD!  They are so beguiling because often they actually do bring God glory, in some respect. 

But, the point I am trying to make here is that those lesser acts of worship should flow from, actually should be the OVERFLOW from, the primary act of worship, which is to BE with Him, in his presence. 

There is a biblical principle God established with the Hebrews, and which still applies today.  It is the principal of "firstfruits".  You can find it mentioned many times in the Old Testament, and lived out by Jesus and his disciples in the New.  Here is one such passage, from Deuteronomy, when God was re-emphasizing this life principle as His people prepared to enter The Promised Land:

1When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you occupy it and live in it, 2you must take the first of all the ground’s produce you harvest from the land the Lordyour God is giving you, place it in a basket, and go to the place where he chooses to locate his name.3You must go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord promised to our ancestors to give us.” 4The priest will then take the basket from you and set it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5Then you must affirm before the Lord your God, “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with a household few in number, but there he became a great, powerful, and numerous people. 6But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, forcing us to do burdensome labor. 7So we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and he heard us and saw our humiliation, toil, and oppression. 8Therefore the Lord brought us out of Egypt with tremendous strength and power, as well as with great awe-inspiring signs and wonders. 9Then he brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10So now, look! I have brought the first of the ground’s produce that you, Lord, have given me.” Then you must set it down before the Lord your God and worship before him. 11You will celebrate all the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family, along with the Levites and the resident foreigners among you.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 (NET)

He wants the "first fruits" of our days, not the dregs, not the crumbs.

My dog, Charlie, patiently dogs my steps (sorry...) as I move about the kitchen.  He is hoping for a crumb, a morsel.  He is essentially a beggar on four paws.  And yet, I too often treat my one-on-one time with the Lord the same way.  I make Him a beggar, even though I know I will suffer for it.  ("The carnal nature is strong in this one...."  That was an oblique reference for you Star Wars fans; the rest of you, well, just pretend you never read it...)

This experience, this time with Him, frames our days.  It rights the listing ship.  It keeps the speeding car in the road.  It makes so "thy kingdom come", because where is His kingdom?  It is within each of us, His children!  If His kingdom does not "come" within each of His beloved FIRST, it "comes" nowhere.

Closing now with Piper's beautiful words:
"The enjoyment of God and the glorification of God are one.  His eternal purpose and our eternal pleasure unite in one experience of worship.  This is what the Lord's Day is for.  Indeed, this is what all of life is for."

Source:

1    Piper, John. Desiring God: meditations of a Christian hedonist. Multnomah Books, 2017. pp. 306-307.

Closing Words

The boy is ready for college and life in the dorms.  His bags are packed.  His boxes and hanging clothes and bedclothes and what-all are in the car.  He gets into the backseat as mom and dad get into the front.  Thus begins the hour-long trek to the campus.  And, as they pull out of the driveway Mama begins to speak.

"Remember, Son, to brush your teeth twice a day."

"Don't neglect your Bible reading."

"Steer clear of people whose values do not match up with your own."

"Avoid junk food."

"Wash your clothes regularly."

And, on the "laundry list" goes.  Mama is reminding her son of training he has received from her over his lifetime.  She is depending on her training to serve him well as he begins to move into adulthood.

Hebrews 13 is like that.  The author has presented, in previous chapters, an eloquent dissertation on a number of critically important theological topics.  In chapter 13, though, he gets down to the most practical of matters: walking by faith.

He begins in verses 1-3 with how we as believers should relate to one another: to love one's fellow brothers and sisters in the faith; to be hospitable to all people.  As for those believers absent because they are imprisoned for their faith, they must not be forgotten!  In all things, demonstrate the love of Christ Jesus.

He then cautions against the following:

Marital infidelity (vs. 4)
Love of money to the point of idolatry (vs. 5)
Getting seduced by strange spiritual doctrines (vs. 9)
Bedeviling your spiritual leaders in the Church (vs. 17)

On a positive note, he urges the following:

Be content with what you have.  (vs. 5)
Trust God with your future.  He will never fail you.  (vs. 5-6)
Imitate the faith of those who raised you up in the faith, and submit to their authority. (vs. 7)
Bear honorably the disgrace that comes from following Jesus.  (vs.12-14)
Praise God continually, with your lips and with your sacrificial giving to others.  (vs. 15-16)
Pray.  (vs. 18-19)
     (He left prayer for last.  We usually mention the most important one at the end, don't we?)

Then, as a godly parent prays over that son being dropped off at college, the writer of Hebrews prays a beautiful benediction over the recipients of his letter.

I've thought, sometimes, about writing my sons a letter that they could read after I'm gone.  But, then, I realized that all my blog posts are "my letters" and more importantly, the life I lead is the greatest "letter" of all, much more potent and accurate than anything I could write.  That is what the writer of Hebrews is saying also.  The lives Christians lead are much more real than the words they profess, the things they say they believe.  "Actions speak louder than words" and "by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16).  So true.

It is with this in mind, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that he writes the benediction in verses 20-21.

20Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us^b that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

"Equip you" is the central theme of this prayer.  Living the Christian life, walking the resplendent walk, is not possible under our own power.  It is only possible under the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why the author prayed for Him to equip those who belong to Christ.

May we allow His Spirit to work marvelously within us and bring our Savior all the glory, forever and ever.  Oh Yes!

Outsiders and Empty Words

I admire folks like Ken Ham, Josh McDowell, David Limbaugh, C.S. Lewis --- apologists all.  The English word "apologetics", which sounds like excuses are being made for something or one is "apologizing" for a belief system, is in my mind an unfortunate word.  It actually means that a valid, rational defense is being made for a belief system.

When I am talking with someone who is oppositional to the Christian faith beliefs I hold, as a Baptist, I find myself getting "emotional".  I'm tempted to allow my voice to take on a sharp edge, out of my desire to convince the person.  (My voice is very resonant anyhow; but, this makes it more "pronounced".  Yes, please pardon the pun!)

Paul gives great advice about dealing with people who hold beliefs different from our own or who are outside God's family.

5Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Colossians 4:5-6

Paul, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives us two guiding principles for dealing with those who do not know Christ.  However, they can equally apply to any of our conversations.

First of all, we need to make the best use of our time, in our conversations with others.  Are our conversations God-honoring?  Are they frivolous?  Frivolity is great, unless we spend an inordinate amount of time in it, which is an unwise use of our time.

The King James Version of the Bible translates "making the best use of the time" as "redeeming the time", which has a connotation of "cashing it in" or "buying it back".

The people Paul is speaking of are non-Christians, who watch how we believers live.  They also listen to how we talk.  Think about that, before you re-tweet something or post something hateful, off-color or even obscene.   It's so easy to just click the mouse and diminish your testimony.

At my church we have had a series of church conferences over the past two months.  At each one members have risen to speak at the microphone.  I wonder how many regret the words they spoke on those occasions?  And, those meetings were not with "outsiders", but, instead, within the "faith family"!

There was a preacher who was called to pastor a large church in Atlanta many years ago.  Shortly after his arrival there to minister, a local man hired a private detective to follow him around.  The preacher was unaware of this.  The detective reported back to the man who had hired him that the pastor was "the real deal".... that his "walk" matched his "talk".  And, the man accepted Christ as Savior, in large part because of this pastor's testimony.

Christians are very reluctant in this current culture to stand up against sin.  I wonder if that is because they have a "mote in their own eye" (Matthew 7:3-5), a hidden, secret sin?

When we do speak out, are our words "seasoned"?  Salt makes food taste better, to a certain extent.  If you use too much, the taste is spoiled; use too little and the food is bland.  A little salt goes a long way.

We certainly do NOT want to be as the infamous Westboro Baptist Church crowd who, though they have the word "Baptist" in their name, do not represent the Baptist denomination at all.  These are people whose hate-filled words and methods are doing irreparable harm to the cause of Jesus Christ.   (I was able to see them in person last month, at the GOP National Convention.  They are utterly repulsive.  God forbid we should even come close to their example!)

These verses are some of the most sobering in the entire Bible:

For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart. 35The good person brings good things out of his good treasury, and the evil person brings evil things out of his evil treasury. 36I tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak. 37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 12:35-37 (NET)

One of my Twitter friends told me yesterday that she prays over every Scriptural tweet she designs and tweets out.  Whoa.... What a testimony!  Twitter is just one example.  We absolutely must pray that the Holy Spirit will measure and weigh our words before they proceed from our mouths. God will hold us accountable for every single one!

Almost every day, I pray this Scripture.  Maybe it will help you too.  I certainly need to pray it often, throughout the day!   Let's pray it together right now.  Psalm 19:14 - - -

Dear Father,
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer!  
In Jesus' name, amen.

Better Than (Olympic) Gold!

For some reason, I am overwhelmed by Colossians 3 and lacking focus.  It strikes me as a mother sending her son off on a trip.  "Remember this....OH! And, don't forget that!"
Then, also, it is all so important....
I figure I may be in this chapter for a while.

So, let's get started.  Focus.  Focus.

Paul actually begins with talking about focus and about priorities.  Life is like a huge banquet of food choices (I was into the food thing yesterday...looks like I have not left...).  We get to choose what we put on our plates.  We had better choose well, if we want to be healthy, and of course, this goes for both the physical and the spiritual realms.

1Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.2Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3 (NET)

Keep seeking the things that are above.  Choose this.  Don't choose that.  Seek this.  Don't seek that.
Keep thinking about this, not about that.  Olympians aren't the only ones who make critical choices all the time.  We all do.  It's just that some of us choose better than others, more often!  It seems like, every day, we hear more and more stories of our fellow men and women who chose heartbreak. Perhaps that is why we love the Olympics so much!

Paul shows us the motivation for making holy choices:  because we have made the choice to surrender Christ's lordship, to live for Him, which requires dying to ourselves.  Paul talks about this in many of his letters. When we accept Jesus' offer of salvation, our lives are then hidden with Christ in God.

What does this mean?

Again, verse 3 speaks of a finality, a "done deal".  Dying is pretty final.  So, when Paul uses the euphemism of "dying" to self, in one sense it connotes a final transaction, forever sealed and sure.
In another sense, Paul speaks of "dying daily" to the old nature's desires and wants, and this is why he admonishes the Colossians to "dwell on" (in some translations) righteous things.

In another layer of meaning, I love how there is a layer of protection and safe-keeping implied here, not that God will protect His children from all pain or trouble or stress, but that, in the final analysis we are His, and He is ours, forever.  One day, when we move into His presence eternally, all such heartache will end.

The fact that Christians are "hidden with Christ in God" does NOT mean that we should hide our faith, or only trot it out during trying circumstances.  Jesus proclaimed that "a city set on a hill cannot be hid".  If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit will most definitely shine forth through you!

Currently, the 2016 Olympics are taking place, with millions watching on television.  And, the first black American woman to win a gold medal for swimming is a Christian.  She doesn't hide it either. When Simone Manuel of Texas won her Olympic spot, after being deemed a "long shot", she tweeted out on Twitter:  "All glory to God! Isn't he awesome?"  Other 2016 Olympians who are Christians and not shy about it include:  Maya DiRado, who said, "My faith frees me to dream big!" and who also medaled for the United States, and David Boudia, who is already a gold medal winner from 2012, but just won the silver a few days ago for synchronized diving.  David has a book coming out soon:  Greater than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption.   1

What marvelous examples of not hiding one's faith, but instead living it out gloriously!  Many in the world will say, "How do they do it?  What incredible force is at work in them to account for this seemingly superhuman performance? What is their secret?"  To that extent, the Christian's life is "hidden with Christ in God".  Jesus Christ, a relationship with Him, is the secret, the best secret, a secret ... better than gold!


Source:

1   http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/august-web-only/meet-rio-olympians-who-put-god-before-gold.html