Year: 2018

God Works in You

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Philippians 2:12‭-‬16 ESV

the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Colossians 1:26‭-‬28 ESV

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
John 15:1‭-‬27 ESV

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:13‭-‬26 ESV

True Friends

Last night, Michael Mcleymore, and a couple of guys that live with and work with him came over and helped me build out my basement. And there have been many friends that have come out and helped us, and we are grateful for all of them, fir their time, their efforts, their skills and abilities, etc.

But Michael is a very special friend to me because he and I grew close enough while doing ministry together that we could find each other lovingly without offense coming into the picture (at least most of the time). And if there is anyone that I can say that I have walked “two by two” with, it is Michael.

Last night as we finished up our construction work for the night, he and I walked off into the dark night together, leaving the house, the men, my family behind us at the house — to talk about “real things” and to be “real” with each other about where we are spiritually and in our walk with the Lord.

And the one thing that was clear to us was that in this season, it is different than when we were both actively in ministry “side by side”. And we talked about the difference between still being called and active in ministry, working yourself through a particular “wilderness” with the Lord, versus being on the mountaintop where the anointing of the Lord is so powerfully present that it overwhelms and has your face shining with the glory of the Lord.

Sometimes it can feel like we are just busy Marthas, with very little time “left over for God”. And how painful that is for our ears to hear us say how far we have come from putting God first and chasing him with reckless abandon! I can remember our stepping out in leaps of faith, willing to be made fools for God’s sake, and seeing God move in powerful and wonderful ways. And it is hard not to look back and long for those days, when these days seem so practical, so responsible, so stable, so comfortable in comparison.

I pray that we both as friends, as brothers, as disciples in Christ will continue to spur each other on, even as we do our best not to forsake providing for our families’ needs. And I thank God for brothers like Michael who will not only “talk and debate” the Word of God with speech (hoping to teach), but will actually come into each other’s houses to live, love, help, rebuke, wound and heal each other with our actions of love (actually teaching).

Many are “eager to teach” with their words, and Paul warns that because of this, few should actually be teachers — but popularity, fame, and the hunger for the honor of men dictates that lots of charismatic people will stand up and “teach” that may or may not be operating “anointed by God”. Just like many people will get up and make a show and give “prophetic words” that don’t come true and never actually came from God. So how do the people try and test what they are being taught? How do the people know whether they are being shepherded or being freed upon by a wolf?

I would say first and foremost, do we care enough about the truth to seek out out for ourselves so we can ask the hard questions, be good Bereans, and ask for clarification FROM THE WORD OF GOD on anything that “doesn’t seem right” — or is all our trust put in a piece of bought paper entitling a man from a seminary of religious teachers as a teacher, father, reverend, etc.?

Right along with that, though, I would ask — what does the lifestyle teach? If you clicked mute on what they are saying, and only looked at what they are living and doing, does it bear any resemblance at all to Jesus Christ’s life, the life of his disciples, or the church we heart about in Acts?

Lord, help us to be true friends. Help us to seek out true leaders who are anointed and living the Word of God, not just participating in some religious, surface level, busy activities. Help us to be in your will and willing to get deeper to the things of the heart, to the things of your spirit burning inside us. Revive us, set us ablaze with love for you, all for your glory and honor. Amen.

God Is Good And Doesn’t Disappoint!

Great reminder:

https://wp.me/pFkTv-6By

Value

Where does our value come from?

If it is from other people, our career, our accomplishments, life’s circumstances and imperfect people — that could leave us in a precarious place of self-pity when those things inevitably fail us.

And if we use those types of “measuring sticks” for ourselves, won’t we be unkind and unfair in how we look at, judge, and place value on others?

Our devotional this morning was about John 4 when Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well — which speaks to not the obvious, surface level topic of racial/societal divisions, but the root issue of “where does my/your value come from”?

I also read a wonderful article on LinkedIn this morning concerning “value”, so this is clearly a topic of note and interest for my life right now.

Dear Daughter: Leave When You Are Not Valued.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dear-daughter-leave-when-you-valued-sara-johnson

I also ws encouraged about this topic by another person’s quote on LinkedIn this morning:

I’m encouraged about my “value” by the Word of God — to me, this is what the Almighty God, creator of everything has to say about me and you and our “worth” or “value”:

You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this. My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, when I was being skillfully woven in an underground workshop. Your eyes saw me when I was only a fetus. Every day ⌊of my life⌋ was recorded in your book before one of them had taken place. How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God! How vast in number they are! If I try to count them, there would be more of them than there are grains of sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.
Psalms 139:13‭-‬18 GW

Where do you and I find our identity?

How do we identify our value and the value of those around us?

I find so much encouragement in what the Word of God has to teach me about my TRUE IDENTITY, my TRUE VALUE , and of what is true and valuable in all the others that I will come into contact today.

A great reference of scripture/verses on the topic of IDENTITY: https://www.openbible.info/topics/identity

We can escape so many traps if we would just believe what He says about us and about others.

Wouldn’t we be more respectful, kind, gentle, inclusive, and forgiving if we truly believed that our actions towards others were actions towards uniquely called and purposed children of Almighty God?

Wouldn’t we be less “impacted” by our momentary circumstances if our value and identity and “self worth” weren’t so intrinsically tied up into performance, measurements, and the opinions of others?

What if our character, our source — as a Christian I would say “who we are In Christ” – was the source of our assurance, our confidence, and our faith in that truth was unshakable?

I’m reminded of a discussion that dad and I had about the rampant issues of oppression and abuse of children that is clearly a systemic issue within the “clergy” of the Catholic priesthood, acting as wolves feeding upon the little sheep of the “laity” — and how I explained to dad that the root of the issue is in their mistaken understanding of the IDENTITY and VALUE of themselves and of others. Any system that allows one group to see themselves as more valuable than others, gives way to them justifying in their own minds all kinds of oppression and abuse. Having this wrong understanding of the Kingdom of God, and twisting the Word of God into a justification for building up palaces and titles and opulence while preying on the weak and the vulnerable — it is something we too have to be careful that we aren’t falling into. What if I used my own power and position to hire and sexually harass that cute young secretary? What if I helped that person in need just to get recognition? What if I participated in a good cause or charity event just to build a good reputation in the community, but my business practices behind closed doors were to take advantage unfairly of my business and vendors? Hopefully, we can see that all of this stems from not rightly considering and remembering the true identity and value of every child in the eyes of the Heavenly Father.

Oh, Lord, what a gift faith in knowing and believing that our identity, our value, our prepare and calling comes from YOU. We were not just some random occurrence of chaotic and evolutionary development that has no relative value or purpose in the grand scale of existence — such foolish thinking would have people ending their own lives thinking “it is all meaningless and worthless” just because things “didn’t go our way”. And it would have us justifying ways to exclude, even oppress others, based on their life circumstances, performance, or “what they can do for me” or where I see their value “in comparison to me”. Help us to repent from our foolish ways, to see others as you see them, to not only act fairly with each other, but to truly love each other. Amen.