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

Win or Lose, It's All In Your Mind

The Dalai Lama, today's high priest of Buddhism, wrote a book in the late 1990s entitled, "Transforming the Mind". The theme of training the mind is common in world religions, and we see a similar "training the mind" admonition from Paul in Philippians 4:8-9 - -

8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

You may have heard it said, "The battle with sin is won or lost in your mind."  This is why, for example, Jesus pointed out that (in this case, the sin of adultery) the battle with sin is first thought/fought in the mind. (Matthew 5:28)

I find it interesting that, in these verses, Paul is referring to making choices which bring our thoughts into obedience to truth ... not to kindness, or patience or long-suffering or compassion....but first, to truth. The battle for holiness, our personal holiness and in our relationships, begins with truth, righteousness, purity, excellence.  It is only after we practice these that we find God's peace.

Pontius Pilate asked, "What is Truth?" (John 18:38)
There's a lot of false, beguiling teaching out in the world.  It runs contrary to the truth of God and His Word.  These may produce a temporary sense of false peace.  However, neither sin, nor error nor deception produce lasting peace.

The Psalmist says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."  (Proverbs 23:7)  This is not an indictment; rather, it is a strong prediction.  There's a popular expression with technology: "garbage in, garbage out". Basically, this means that the computer does not "interpret" your intent.  If you put garbage into it, you will get garbage out of it.

The human mind is similar.  Examples:
If we surround ourselves with profanity, we will soon find our own speech laced with profanity.
If we fill our minds with violent images, we will find our own mind becoming consumed with violent thoughts.
If we hear constantly criticism, we will become critical ourselves.
That is....unless we take conscious steps to counteract those influences.

4The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We tear down arguments, and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

It takes a deliberate act of will to choose true, righteous and true things with which to fill our minds. This is because we are surrounded in this world by unrighteousness.  Satan uses our environment to send flaming arrows into our thought lives.  We can't stop his attacks, but we can certainly repel them and reject them when they come.  Some have said, "It is not a sin to have an impure thought.  But, it is a sin to embrace it and dwell on it."  There have been times I've said out loud, "I reject that thought, in the name of Jesus."  But, actually, I am not vigilant enough.

After emphasizing that the mind is where the battle begins, Paul then goes on to say essentially, "Now that your thoughts are right, practice what you've been taught."  It is very hard to "live out" righteousness, when the mind is full of unrighteousness.  Accordingly, it is very important that we deliberately fill our minds with things that are true, pure, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy.

Our mothers used to tell us, growing up, "Make good choices!" So true!  And, not only in our actions, but especially in our minds.  Resplendent Daughter blog began as a result of my decision to deliberately choose to spend time in God's Word each day.  It is deliberate decision to fill my mind and spirit with truth. Now, God has taken that act of obedience and transformed it into a ministry.  He is so gracious!

So, what is the specific application of these two verses?
First of all, we must take deliberate steps to feed our minds truth and goodness.  "Nature abhors a vacuum", as the saying goes.  If we don't proactively fill our minds; Satan will fill them for us.  This includes those with whom we choose to surround ourselves.
Second, we must be on guard at all times for Satan's attacks, and fend them off with Scripture as soon as they appear.  We must not allow darkness to "set up camp" in our minds.
Thirdly, we must pray for God's protection over our minds and hearts, that He will give us discernment to recognize attacks of the evil one, when they come, to identify error and deception when it appears and go on the offense until the mind has been cleansed and peace restored.  If you are like me, you struggle with this aspect of the resplendent walk.  We need to ask the Holy Spirit to transform our minds!  He loves to be asked.  May the God of peace be with us!

Father, you desire that our minds and hearts be clean, pure and at peace with You.  This, too, should be our desire.  We are continually beguiled by our fallen natures, which resonate with the wickedness we see in the world.  May we pursue righteousness and truth and goodness, and after finding them, constantly fill our minds and hearts with them, full to overflowing.  Give us Your peace, which follows a right heart toward You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Wonderful Example? Horrible Warning?

Someone gave me a calendar several years ago.  It was one of those themed items (maybe by Maxine?) that had a saying or an adage for each day.  You could flip from one day to the next and see some humorous bit of wisdom.  Often, as I flipped over the new page, I'd laugh.  But, one day, I flipped the page to see this:

"You can either be a wonderful example, or a horrible warning."

This sobering thought reminds me of Paul's plea in today's text:

17  Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.  18  For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 

Other versions translate "following my example" as the word "imitate".  The Greek word is Symmimētai , a word not used elsewhere in Scripture, which actually means "co-imitators".  That's why the NASB translates the thought as "join in following my example".
The other key word here then is "join", which signifies Paul's desire for the Philippians to unite in following the example set forth by him and by others like him, hence the "us" at the end of verse 17.

This reminds me of a time when, as a choral director of high school choirs, I attended a wonderful week-long workshop to learn choreography from a Disney park choreographer.  Fortunately, I was in my 20s at the time and in great physical shape.  The choreographer would stand in front of our group and, in order to learn the moves to each piece of music, the group would imitate him.  If we made missteps (and we made many), he would make us go over the steps again and again, until we "got it".
The end result was a beautiful and powerful synchronized performance where, not everyone looked the same, but we all together made a tremendous impact through both our auditory and visual performances.

So, there is also a call for unity in these verses.  He goes on in the passage to highlight two women who are having some kind of squabble, and to ask the small church to help them work it out.  As believers, we will have disagreements, sometimes serious ones.  Often, the call for unity is proclaimed, to resolve the differences.  But, unity for the sake of appearances or comfort is a false unity.  In other words, unity is great, but only if it is based on truth.  We as Christians are admonished to be unified, but not when error is present.

Paul recognized the power of example, of mentoring, of leadership.  In 1 Cor. 11:1, he "grounds" his admonition by anchoring it into bedrock.

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

Furthermore, in the earlier parts of his letter to the Philippians, and in his other letters, he describes the characteristics believers should imitate as well as the ones they should avoid.  What Paul desires they imitate is his distrust of his own abilities to live for Christ under his own power, his clear sense of his own shortcomings, as well as his earnest desire to reach the perfect example Christ Jesus gave.

Some have said that Paul is being arrogant in his request for the Philippian believers to imitate him. What he is asking of the Philippians is that join him single-mindedly in a similar quest  - - - - that being to pursue righteousness by following Christ's example.  Every Christian should be able to say these same words to their brothers and sisters in Christ.  If we can't declare that we are "walking this way" or "walking worthy", then we need to examine our hearts, repent of and confess any hidden sins and perhaps even re-examine our own salvation to see if it is indeed true.

Paul is writing to believers here, about people in the Philippian church.  In verse 18, he writes about church members who break his heart.  Apparently, in addition to believers who are following his and Christ's example, there are those who are living as "enemies of the cross of Christ."  What an indictment!  You might say that these are a "horrible warning"!  It is sad to contemplate that enemies of Christ can infest the church.  But, it happens.  When any believer falls into sin, or worse, practices sin, he or she at that moment is an enemy of the cross of Christ, because that sin is an affront to God. It is like a slap in His face, after all He has done to redeem us.
The people Paul describes here, though, are of the "practicing" kind.  Instead of "walking worthy", they persist in their sin, in order to set up their own power-structures, their little "kingdoms", which stand in opposition to the kingdom of God.  Psalm 55:20-21 (ESV) describes these people perfectly:

My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;

he violated his covenant.

His speech was smooth as butter,

yet war was in his heart.

His words were softer than oil,

yet they were drawn swords.

We are to avoid them...like the plague.

So, today's question for me and for you is this:  which will you choose to be?  A wonderful example? Or, a horrible warning?

Father, may each of us, Your redeemed, blood-bought Bride, make the choice today to join together in imitating Your Son, our Savior.  It is in His glorious name I pray, amen.

A Galatian Oreo

Do you like Oreos?  I'm going to show you one in Scripture today.

I guess you could say I'm not a Calvinist.  My belief in God's all-knowingness (omniscience) is secure.  He knows all, from before time began until after it is abolished.  "From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God!" (Psalm 90:2) Inherent in that omniscience is the understanding that He knows every single choice we will make, before we even think of making it.  Calvinists fully believe in God's omniscience, but they also adhere to an additional belief --- that He makes those choices for us, deciding who will come to know Him through Jesus Christ, as well as (for some) totally negating the concept of free will.

In a way, the Calvinist position is comforting.  Why witness to the lost if it doesn't matter?  God will see that "the chosen" come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ...somehow.  Why live a life of holiness, struggle with sins "that so easily trip us up" (Hebrews 12:1)?  God knows what we are going to do anyway. We really don't have any choice in the matter. It has been fore-ordained.

You see...if you take away from mankind the ability to choose Jesus Christ, or not....
if you take away man's "free will" about salvation, you must also take away basically all choice from him.  It's not "pick and choose".  And, if we really have no choices, why then did Paul write Galatians 5:16-26?

The passage is an "oreo" passage, or in music we would say it is in ABA form.  The first black cookie (or "A") consists of verses 16-18 (NET)

16 But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

Paul goes on to describe what a life lived serving one's own selfish desires looks like.  He calls this "living according to the flesh" (vs. 19-21a), the works of the flesh.  Next, he describes what a life lived led by the Holy Spirit looks like.  He calls this the fruits of the Spirit.  All this is the "B" section, the creamy filling of the Oreo.

The second black cookie ("A" again) is contained in verses 24-26 (NET)

24 Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.

First, let's examine the "A" sections.  Read them over again, one after another.  Do you see that living the Christian life is all about choices?  There is this spiritual battle raging in each of us who know Jesus as Savior.  Some believe, mistakenly, that the battle is less intense after a person accepts Christ as Savior and Lord.  No.  The battle intensifies.  The new believer is ratcheted up in Satan's attention. Satanic attempts to neuter, neutralize, disarm and hamstring the believer begin, from the moment of salvation.

Yes, our salvation is settled and secure from the moment we are saved, from that instant we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.  As we live this life, though, as a Christian, we are faced with a seemingly unending array of choices - - - for the kingdom of God or against it.  God has always dealt with mankind this way.  Don't you remember when Joshua told the children of Israel:
"Choose you this day whom you will serve"?  (Joshua 24:15)

Now, let's look at those two words I underlined in the passages above.  Note that the choices motivated by our own selfishness (the flesh) are called "works".  In other words, these are things we do in our own power, in our own human strength.  By contrast, when we choose to be led by the Holy Spirit, it is HE who produces the characteristics in verses 24-26.  Those are fruits which the Holy Spirit produces in our lives.

If you read verses 24-26 and say, "I'm going to try my best to be more gentle," then you've got it backwards.  As a Christian, you make choices to allow the Spirit of Jesus Christ to possess you ... or not.  That is what Paul means by verse 24, that "crucifying of the flesh".  It is He, then, who produces in the believer those "fruits of the Spirit".

If you are like me, you read that list of "fruits" and think with panic, "I'm not able to do that!"  And, then I realize,  "That's exactly right!"  In my flesh, my own power, I can't.  But, He can.  In so doing, He gets all the honor and glory due Him, for the marvelous works that He does in me.

Dear Holy Spirit, consume in me all the impurity that brings my Savior dishonor.  I want to be led by You, to follow You, so that You may be glorified through me.  In Jesus' name, amen.

My Former Way of Life

We don't have to live very long to get "a history", do we?  When I think about this, I am reminded of my younger brother's forehead.  You can't see it now, because he wears his hair down over it.  But, when he was little he had a crew cut, which let his forehead be on full display.  This is a relevant memory because he had (as I recall) five rather significant mishaps, which resulted in five bold scars marching across his forehead by the time he was in grade school.  Thank goodness for bangs, huh?

Along the way, we all get banged up, here or there, with scars short or long.  It is these experiences which often keep us from enjoying the fullness of life.  This morning, I had so much fun!  A very early work assignment necessitated my leaving home before 6:30 (hence the lateness of today's blog post, and from the car service department waiting room, no less!).  But then, after finishing, I found myself near a state park I'd never visited.  In the 32 degree cold, I hiked close to a mile, in order to see and hear a waterfall which defies my ability to describe.  So beautiful!  I said to the Lord, "Is there anything in Heaven to compare?"  "Better", He said.  What a marvel!

This earthly life truly is no comparison to Heaven, no doubt.  But, it can be wonderful - - - not because of waterfalls or buckeyes (another sweet treat from this morning - - I confess!) or kisses from your spouse or rocking your child.  These are foreshadowings of Heaven, to be sure! However, I'm talking about that way of life which is a heart-to-heart relationship with the One who created you, who designed you with all your beauty of soul, before the dawn of Time.  The One who knows that you smile crooked and pass gas a ridiculous amount, that you snore and think the Coen Brothers are geniuses.

Why do we sacrifice an endless love, a perfect one which knows no measure, because of our former way of life?
Paul could have done that, and he probably did, those first few days after his conversion.  Who could have been more amazed than he when he found himself literally slapped facedown on the Damascus Road, grit in his teeth, rips in his cloak and tears in his eyes?  Who could have been more flabbergasted to be addressed from Heaven by the One and Only, King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Look what Paul said in Galatians 1:13-24.

13For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

      18Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; 23but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24And they were glorifying God because of me.

Here we have a Church Killer, a Believer-Buster, a Tradition-Trumpeter, who was doing what he thought right at the time.  Many of us have been there - - often deceived by the enemy and making foolish choices, choices with seemingly life-long consequences.  We think that we are irredeemable. Our view of God is too small.   We don't believe He can transform the worst of souls.  I've been guilty of thinking that, haven't you?  If not yourself, o prideful one, have you ever looked into the dead eyes of the person in the newspaper ... seen that person who committed the most heinous crimes and thought, "There is no way, no way the love of God could touch the soul of that one."  How sickeningly short-sighted!  If God, who knew, KNEW while Paul was in his mother's womb that he would have killed even Jesus Himself, had Paul been given that chance....knowing even that, God also knew that Paul would go on to become not just a saint, but indeed a giant for Jesus.

But.When.God. (vs. 15) ... These three words catapult out of scripture to crush all of our excuses, self-recriminations, despair.  But.When.God.

Consider some of the things God was able to do through Paul1:

• wrote most of the New Testament (authoring 13 or 14 of the 27 books, some minor disagreement there...)
• made 3 long missionary journeys, all over the Roman Empire
• preached to kings/rulers (Festus, for instance, in Acts 25)  
• experienced miracles (survived shipwreck, handling the snake at the campfire, etc.) Acts 27:27-28:5
• started and discipled the churches from which the whole world has been evangelized.

The question for us today is this:  What does God want to do with each of us?  From this moment forward, all of our past, is past.  All of it is "former life".  Whether your "former" is full of fabulousness or failures, it is still the past.  From this day forward, how will you choose?  It is not our "call" to decide what God can or can't, will or won't do with each of us.  Surrender to Him, even "doing a 180" (degree turnaround), begins with our "YES".

This I do know:  anything He has conceived for each of us will be far better than any cheap imitation we can create on our own.  As the Lord has promised - - His way (both now and hereafter) is so much better! (Psalm 18:30)

"And they were glorifying God because of me." (vs. 24)  Wow!  Isn't this what you want?  It's the desire of my heart: that all who hear of me will glorify God because of what God does through me....that people will say, "What a mighty God she serves!"  That right there is just about the best earthly compliment, right?  Rather than Paul's past holding him back from coming to God and serving Him, God used that past to bring Himself greater glory!  This God!  THIS is the One and Only! There is nothing, literally nothing (and no one), He cannot redeem, transform, transcend.

Lord, the fatalists claim that choice is a mere product of our imaginations, and the Calvinists are not far behind.  But, I believe that, although You know all, You also find glory in giving us the ability to choose.  Our mothers used to say, "Make good choices", because life IS a series of choosing Your way or our own.  May we always, ever, over and over again....choose You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Sources:

http://www.biblestudy.org/apostlepaul/main.html

Light Sabers for Light Bearers

So here it is - - - the most blessed night of the entire year, Christmas Eve, the night that Christ -followers celebrate His birth.  After a lovely Christmas Eve service at our church and a good dinner, I had the privilege of going with the Hubster and the First Son to see "The Force Awakens".  Finally. All the fa-la-la-la-la of the season had prevented me from seeing it before now.  A strange juxtaposition, you think?  Not so much.

I remember back in the days of the first Star Wars movies (when I was a twenty-something) there was a twenty-something dude who went to church after seeing the first in the series.  During the welcome, you know, where you are to shake people's hands, he turned around to the folks seated behind him and quipped, "May the Force be with you."

Why has the Star Wars series been such a huge mega-hit?  Last I heard, in its opening weekend, this latest installment had taken in over $317 million!  There are several reasons, but I believe that there are two main ones.

1.  We identify with the characters who are trapped in the Dark Side.  The Bible tells us, and in our souls we know this to be true: we are, from the moment of our human conception, "wired" for sin.  It is part of our human DNA, since Adam's and Eve's escapades.  Although there are times we seem to break free, we quickly find ourselves like the fly in the spider's web, caught once again.
And, we desperately want out.  Oh...there are shenanigans, those strategies we are tricked into trying, in order to solve the problem ourselves.  "I did it my way!"  But, they are only temporary fixes.  They never take care of the sin problem, because they can't.

2.  We are fascinated by those who have "The Force" because we long to have it too.  We desperately want "the light" to overcome "the darkness", both in the story and in our own stories, our own lives. In the movies, sometimes the dark wins; other times the light wins.  Red saber vs. blue saber.  This mimics our lives; the ongoing cosmic battle resonates with the ongoing spiritual battle within us.  As I told a loved one the other day: those with the most potential for the light are always most severely opposed by the dark.  There is in each of us, however, the image of God in which we were created, that spark of the divine, by which we choose - - - either the light or the dark.

Jesus said that if we want "The Force", we can have it.  Well, sort of like that:

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12

Perhaps he was thinking of Isaiah 9:2, when He made this declaration.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined.

When we hear the message of the gospel:
how God condescended to us,
how He from before Time began knew that He would put on flesh,
be conceived as a human inside a woman's womb,
go on to live the life of a Jewish man until He
allowed Himself to be crucified,
submitted to His own plan to redeem us by not only suffering the worst imaginable death, but
raised Himself from the dead...

All of earth's finest stories mimic His Story.  His is truly "the greatest story ever told".  Who but God could have spun a (true) tale like this one?

When we hear the gospel, we are faced with the choice: the light (Jesus) or the dark (the world, Satan).  It is the divine spark the "image of God" which the Holy Spirit kindles inside those who submit to Him, those who choose Him.

Upon our "YES", He performs that irreversible, transformative change in our souls.  He gives us a new birth.  He puts His Spirit in us, Light unparalleled, incomparable.
Then, we bear it.  We not only carry Him within us, we wield His light in the world, wherever we go.  It is "the light of life", the one and only, from The One and Only Savior.  There is none other.  All the rest are pretenders, deceivers, cheap imitators.

There is no life like the abundant life.  I was thinking about this precious gift of salvation earlier today - - - how it is the best of this earthly existence, how I would not trade it for anything.  It is the Gift of God, everlasting life, everlasting light.  He is the Gift, the Incomparable One.

So, stripping away all of the fancy paper, the carols, the celebrations, Santa, Christmas cookie swaps and deck-the-halls, it comes down to this:  God came down for you at Christmas.  Will you embrace and follow Him?

"Choose wisely, young padawan!" and "May the Force be with you!"

Heavenly Father, I am so grateful to be Yours.  I did not deserve to receive the greatest gift a human can be given, but You gave it anyway.  Thank you for reconciling me to Yourself and not only me but also anyone who will receive You.  This is unfathomable love.  This is Christmas.  All my praise and worship are Yours, Father, Son, Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Source:

http://www.italianrenaissance.org/wp-content/uploads/Michelangelo-creation-of-adam-index.png

Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Dir. J.J. Abrams, story by George Lucas. LucasFilm, December 18, 2015. Film. 

Make Good Choices

Good morning,

I knew a mother, a contemporary of mine, who used to tell her children as she left them in the morning, "Make good choices!"  She knew that, during their day, they would be faced with many alternatives.  She was reminding them to opt for the best rather than for the easy, the comfortable, the seductive.  All that is shiny is not gold.  This memory reminds me of 2 Corinthians 7:1, today's scripture:

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish holiness out of reverence for God.

Another title for today's post could have been, "Choose Holiness".  That is what Paul was asking the Corinthians to do.  You see, they were faced with a big choice.  As I've mentioned earlier in our study they were being seduced by false teachers whose teachings were contradictory to Paul's.  The Corinthians could not live holy lives, pleasing to God, by following false doctrine.  Paul was certain of this and accordingly asked them to choose well.

But, beyond that, Paul was asking them to choose well in the everyday decisions of their lives, just as my acquaintance years ago did each morning with her kids.  In so doing, Paul described the process of a holy walk with God.  Let's break it down.

First, holiness begins with remembering the promises of God (vs. 1).  What are those promises? God's promises are many, but I believe Paul was referring in 7:1 to those he had just written about in 2 Cor. 6:16-18

• that God lives in us because our bodies are His temple
• that we are His people and He walks among us
• that He is and will be our Father
• that we are His sons and daughters
• that He welcomes us when we come to Him
• that He is the Supreme, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

So, before choosing, we must remember these precious oaths God makes to us.  Humans sometimes break their promises, but God's promises are more like oaths.  He never breaks His.

When I read this verse, I had to think a bit about our role versus the role of the Holy Spirit in our cleansing.  We go to Him for cleansing, and per the promise, He welcomes us.  It is not our "good works" which achieve holiness in us.  But, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have ordained that we have a role in it, and that role is to choose holiness.  Our Sovereign Father never negates our free will. He allows us to choose Jesus as Savior when our relationship begins, although He knows what we will choose, due to His omniscience, His all-knowingness.  Furthermore, He allows us to choose whether or not we walk in holy living moment to moment, day to day.  

That mother knew that her children had the freedom to choose, multiple times a day.  She wanted them to choose well, but knew that their choices were ultimately theirs alone.  God certainly wants us to choose His way, in every circumstance, and His heart is grieved when we do not.  But, He does not, even in His perfect sovereignty, take our choices away from us.

When we choose His way, He perfects His holiness within us to a greater and greater degree.  He molds us more and more into the image of His Son.  Praise Him!  Even when we choose poorly, He can and does turn those choices around to His glory and to our "good" because He loves us.  That is why the Scripture says, "All work together for good to those who love Him, to those called according to His purpose."

I used to believe that it would be easier for me to walk through this life successfully if I "made good choices."  To some extent I believe that this is a scriptural promise.  For example, if you brush your teeth regularly (and floss!), you will usually get to keep your teeth healthy until your death.  It's easier to keep your teeth, so I'm told.  So, I brush and floss regularly.  But, walking in holiness does not in every aspect make life easier, as I believed when a youth.  Often, it makes you Satan's target.

The thing is, wanting life to be "easy" is not the proper motivation for walking in holiness, walking resplendent.  The proper motivations are three-fold:

• to show God our reverence, our worship (vs. 1)
• the glorification of God and 
• the furtherance of His kingdom here on earth (Matt. 6:9-10)

all of which go hand-in-hand.    

The last passage I mentioned, the one from Matthew 6, is from the Lord's Prayer.  Part of that prayer Jesus taught us to pray was that the Lord God would deliver us from evil.  As we are faced with tough choices, it is very important to stop and take a moment to go before God's throne and pray that prayer.  Depending on our own strength in times of temptation is foolish, because we have no strength in and of ourselves.  Our strength comes from the Lord, from His Holy Spirit living within us.

Father, may your Spirit, Who lives within us, flame up to consume all in our hearts that is unholy.  May we confess and repent, to rid our souls of any barnacles which may have attached themselves there. And then, as we walk today, may we walk resplendent, reflecting Your glory.  May we make good choices, choices which bring you honor and point others to Jesus Christ, the only One in whom grace, help and salvation are found.  In His name I pray, amen.