Year: 2018

This is the Time

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT

Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
Esther 4:13‭-‬17 NLT

Sometimes we forget the importance of the day, the divine providence that has brought us today — how many events in the length of history all led up to the moment, place, time, and circumstances we face RIGHT NOW. And sometimes we forget that we are not promised tomorrow, that any breath could be our last, that our time is so, so short here in comparison to all of history and all of eternity.

But today, I pray the Lord will remind us that He has made us for such a day as this. I pray that we won’t squander the opportunities to love, to serve, to repent, to obey, to resist evil, and to embrace God’s will and experience His presence. Help us, Lord, you are our strength. Amen.

What Matters?

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

Yesterday, I got to talk to our new owner and CEO, Frank Mobley, in the break room for the first time casually — and I also got to speak with several leaders, Josiah Magnuson, Jamie Jordan, Rob Nelson, William Renfro, and several others, at the South Carolina Christian Chamber of Commerce meeting during lunch on the topic of “transformational leadership”.

And while there could have been conversations had with them about business strategies, etc. — I found myself having much more personal conversations with them instead of “hustling” to “make connections”, or “gain favor”, or “sell them on my ideas”. But I realize that there was another time when everything I said and did “had an angle” and was carefully constructed in my mind to get me to the next place that I wanted to be. My “old way” was to use people like what the CIA would call “assets”, and to develop them by building trust so that you can manipulate them, extract valuable information from them, and use them for accomplishing your own goals.

Some people can “hustle” and it is clear and evident to everyone around them exactly what they are up to — and that’s why I used to hate business gatherings for “networking” because it was so fake and superficial and self serving — and for the same reasons, I hated visiting churches, because it seemed they either didn’t care about me at all, or they wanted to “be the one that saved me” to get some kind of credit with God for proselytizing yet another religious convert. Now I know this unseen “stench” that we can seem to spiritually smell in those situations is the smell of lovelessness, and we can hear Paul speak of this lack of love in 1 Corinthians 13.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:1‭-‬3 NLT

I found myself speaking with these leaders, and listening more intently to what they had going on personally than what success they might want to share about their professioal lives because it isn’t what is “seen” that matters most. And it wasn’t something that I made a conscious effort to do so that I could gain trust to then leverage at a later date — I actually wanted to get to know them and encourage them and be a friend and a helper.

And this seems so different to me than how things used to be, so I have to accept and believe that God is truly at work, changing my desires and my ways to be more like Him, in a way that isn’t burdensome and isn’t me just trying to live up to some list of guidelines and rules to be followed. There is something going on underneath, below the surface, that isn’t just superficial and temporary.

It’s a “transformation”!

Our family devotional this morning was on “The Poor Rich Man”:

And I can remember times in my life where I ws decided and isolated and so self centered that I didn’t want to have anything but superficial attachments to anyone around me — one night stands, folks to party with, business connections to close deals with, etc. But I didn’t want to let anyone “in” — I wanted everything away a safe distance where the was no real relationship, no real friendship, no real “investment” of myself into yet another person who would just be the first to use me as their “asset”. It was a game of staying on top, being in control, limiting risk — and it was all a lie and was worthless and futile.

Now, I have to tell you that I’m not yet perfected in these areas, and that I am still tempted many times to retreat into my shell, but I have something stronger than my own insecurities to guide me. My strength comes from the Lord. And as prideful as it may sound for me to be sharing how I have seen the Lord demonstrating victory in this area of my life instead of speaking of how this message “revealed sin and convicted me to repent and confess” — sometimes we have to praise the Lord for the victory He has won and is revealing in our lives! And since these are the words He has for me today, Hallelujah, because I know that discipline comes when it is due as well.

So my question becomes, “What matters?” Moreso, “What truly matters in the scope of eternity?”

And, “Will my life reflect that today?”

Let’s not be so short sighted with our distractions, grumbling, lovelessness, unforgiveness, selfishness, and doubt that we miss out on what is truly valuable today!

Lord, open our eyes to see what is unseen, those things that are our purpose and calling in this short journey , those kingdom riches greater than rewards of gold and diamonds, the richness of your very presence leading us, changing us, molding us, sanctifying us to believe who you say we are in Christ so that we can live lives that are not stumbling others, but that we might be able to say, “Come, walk with me, and you will see God at work!” And that we would say it and mean it in a humbled, awe stricken manner that makes it clear that we do not think so very much of ourselves, but that we trust in you, oh Lord, so greatly. Because you have won the victory, and you are great and worthy to be praised — and you use even people such as us to accomplish your will, on earth as it is in heaven. Hallelujah! Amen!

Work Hard

NOTE: It’s pretty cool to me that on this Labor Day weekend, I ended up on the subject of “Hard Work” in my studies, not by my own plan or design. And this lesson especially convicted me about at times I fall into grumbling about others in my workplace. I repent, Lord. Strengthen me to resist this temptation.

—-

And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” – Acts of the Apostles 20:35 NLT

Work hard.

Help those in need.

Give.

These are a burdensome calling for the proud and the selfish, right?

“Well, I’m not going to help X, because he doesn’t deserve it!”

Or…

“Well, I’m not going to help THEM. They are good for nothing.”

The Lord says that your best works are filthy rags in His eyes (Isaiah 64:6). He says that you are nothing outside of Christ (John 15:5,Psalm 16:2). He says that there is no good in you at all (Romans 7:18).

Do you believe what He says about YOU?

Man, it’s humbling to accept that I’m no more worthy than those people I grumbled about today to my friend or co-worker, right? Or maybe you’re better than me in that particular aspect but you fall short in another?

Father, forgive us. Show us the way. Give us the faith to follow you. Teach us to forgive, to be patient, to love as you love. Change our desires. Make us more like you. Convict our hearts and minds against sin, and deliver us from evil. You have all the power, all the glory, all the honor in the great work you will do in us and through us. Amen.

Labor Day

According to Wikipedia:

Labor Day in the United States of America is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend. It is recognized as a federal holiday.

And today, we will be working on our basement and house to prepare it for the arrival of my grandparents who are moving in with us, and to prepare it for beginning to have small group Bible studies and fellowship here in our home again after a break for the summer.

Our morning devotion spoke of good works and how they cannot buy your way into heaven, because the requirement is faith, but that good works are the inevitable outcome of true, saving faith. So I thought it’s would be good to see what the Word of God says about Labor in particular.

Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
Proverbs 6:6‭-‬11 NLT

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.
Colossians 3:23‭-‬25 NLT

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.
Ephesians 6:5‭-‬9 NLT

“I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Acts of the Apostles 20:33‭-‬35 NLT

Hopeful Rejoicing

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Romans 12:12 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.12.12.NLT

Our household has quickly, in the span of 3 months, grown from a population of 3 to become a population of 8 in the next few weeks. And in this same time frame, we’ve had so much change going on around us. It has been trouble, and at times it has tasted like we’ve been handed “a pile of $#!+”, but isn’t it amazing how the Lord uses just that type of thing as fertilizer?

Where does the grass grow greenest? In the stinkiest parts of the cow pasture, in the ground above our septic tanks. And all of creation testifies to how His ways are better than ours.

Our ideas of “order” and “beauty” have sharp, squared off 90 degree edges, have concrete and asphalt covering everything, and quickly grow drab and ugly over time. But while we can build something very quickly that is beautiful for a moment (while it is shiny and new) — His creation, and the winds and rains and rust and rot it brings to bear, will eventually claim that temporary beauty, and replace it with something a lot less “cookie cutter”, and a lot more beautiful.

So we can rejoice that He is doing the same type of work in us — tearing down and wearing down the polished, proud edges through trials and tribulations and opportunities for faith to be made manifest — to rise up yet another testimony, yet another praise that God is so good and that His ways are much higher and greater than any of our own plans or designs.

So even though it seems hard to be patient and to trust and to cling firmly to hope in times of real darkness, we can ask ourselves — do I really believe in things like Psalm 91 for these times of trouble?

Have you ever read about “the warrior’s psalm”? Do you believe that daily we are doing battle with unseen forces?

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord :

He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”
Psalms 91:1‭-‬16 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.91.1-16.NLT

What encouragement and what hope can be found in the Word of God!

So we can rejoice even in the midst of today’s challenge, our rejoicing doesn’t have to be contingent upon our current circumstances, because we know that even what was meant for evil, God will use for good.

I think of Joseph’s life, where he faced trial after trial due to the actions of people treating him wrongly and how the Lord used these injustices of the world as a great testimony of the difference in how Joseph treated others because he knew and trusted in the Lord:

After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said. So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said. But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.
Genesis 50:14‭-‬21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gen.50.14-21.NLT

We think we have it bad when we face the consequences of our own bad decisions or lack of planning — but has your beloved family sought to murder you purely because the Lord has shown favor to you and not because you have wronged them, has your hard work, integrity and your refusing to give into temptation had you locked up and wrongly imprisoned? We can quickly make a mountain out of the mole hills and make ourselves out to be “suffering”, but have we truly lost everything like Job, still praised the Lord, and still received anguish and torment and ridicule from others around us? Or even moreso, have we lived a perfect and blameless life of living and serving others, only to be refused, tortured and displayed on a cross as if a criminal?

Almighty God has been so patient with us, so slow to answer, so quick to offer mercy, so we have every reason to trust Him in the storms — but when it seems like we’r don’t have the faith to do just that, maybe we should be like the father who knew his need, who heard Jesus’s words and who fell humble and contrite at His feet:

And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
Mark 9:14‭-‬29 NKJV

https://bible.com/bible/114/mrk.9.14-29.NKJV

So let’s rejoice!

Father God, you are so, so good to us. You have not given us what we truly deserve, but you have offered us forgiveness and mercy and salvation and rescue and deliverance. Even in the storm, you have a plan and a purpose. Heal our unbelief, give us the measure of faith to carry us through, you have gone before us and prepare the way, remind us that you will slay the giants, and you will cast the mountains into the sea. Glory be to God in the highest! Amen!