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Helping Hand

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.
Isaiah 41:13 NLT

This morning, our family got up early and exercised with weights together for our first time. My daughter and wife cleaned out and organized the room yesterday so that we would be able to use it as an exercise room again. My wife helped encourage me out of bed this morning, and I encouraged my daughter awake. After we gathered in the basement workout room, I helped teach them proper technique for each exercise as we focus on our arms this morning. Today was a restart for another one of our old, good habits that had fallen out of practice. And we have been helping and encouraging each other in many ways to get back to having these good habits consistently a part of our lives.

As much as we are trying to help ourselves and each other, we fail each other at times. And sometimes circumstances occur where we aren’t physically nearby in order to be able to help each other. But God is with us. He holds our hands, and He is here to help us.

I think the most helpful part of the verse though, is the “Do not be afraid.” Our family just went through a season that was very difficult and where we saw many good habits torn down by circumstances. We saw people (both family and friends) that were by our side and a regular help and encouragement leave our daily lives because of so many different reasons. And our own attention and focus and time shifted to meet the wide array of challenges, needs and distractions so that we were no longer razor ficus in purpose and direction, but were seemingly pulled in many directions. I even saw my prayer, my worship, my time in The Word become affected as my focused shifted away. But you know what, God was still there with me. He wasn’t surprised by it, He wasn’t jealous and indignant about this season. He didn’t hold it over my head to demonstrate yet again why I don’t deserve Him. He is here to help me, not tear me down.

Yesterday, I got to eat dinner with my dad at Capri’s Italian while he was back in town. Since they now live in Myrtle Beach, I hadn’t gotten to spend time with him on Father’s Day, so I really just wanted some time together with him — just to spend time together, and to remind him how important he is to me. My parents help us so much, and we rarely get to help them. In fact, it is practically impossible for us to ever pay for a meal when we are with them. But dad had to go to the restroom during our dinner, and I quickly gave the waitress my card and paid for dinner while he was unaware in the restroom. After he came back and we finished eating, he pulled out his wallet and as I told him, “You don’t need that.” He smirked that familiar smirk and I’m sure the decades old and familiar back and forth of me trying to offer and him insisting to pay was warning up in his mind. But I had already taken care of it.

I wonder if our praise and worship is sort of like that to God? He doesn’t truly “need” anything from us. And anything we have to offer Him in return isn’t going to impact His worth or value. And He is the giver of his gifts. So even when we offer what little, relatively insignificant good gift we have to offer him — we are really just trying to emulate back to Him what we have seen Him do for us our whole lives.

Lord, thank you for your consistency, your faithfulness, your unending love and mercy towards us. Help our lives to be a loving worship full of the fruit that you so abundantly give to us freely and generously. Amen.

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Christ In Me

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.
Galatians 2:20‭-‬21 NLT

Last night, I wrote about the Spiritual Principal that the story of the Widow’s Mite teaches us about — and how that applies to all things of the heart, not just money.  And today, we are talking about “keeping the law” versus “Christ lives in me”.

This concept of genuine faith and genuine worship of God is at the heart of our very being.

A quick related interjection: One of my favorite books of the Old Testament is the book of Amos. It is a prophetic book of warning about God’s judgement not only on the world but on God’s own chosen people. This book might shock many modern day “Buddy Jesus Christians” who would model God in the image of their own “feelings” on what “love” should look like. But even the new Testament teaches us about the concept that God’s word is a valuable plumbline (Matthew 7:24-27) to guide us in an annunciation and fruitful life — living by the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:17-26) — and that God will judge the church first (1 Peter 4:17). (NOTE: That is a lot to glue together, so I’ve just left the references for those who want to pull out their shovels and dig deeper, rather than quoting them here.)

“Christ in me” is different than:

  • Keeping the law as an obligatory heavy burden (condemnation)
  • Keeping the law in order to compare ourselves to others (self- righteousness)
  • Outwardly keeping the law in order to use it to judge and Lord over others (hypocrisy)
  • Trying but failing to keep the law so that we are remorseful and remain engaged in our religious activities to constantly be making amends or seeking contrition from a religious system (shame)
  • Presuming upon God’s grace and using the idea of “Buddy Jesus” as an excuse for continued wickedness (willfully sinning)

Something that we should realize is that there is no way for us to manipulate things and use God’s Word for our own selfish purposes. We are not smarter than Him so that we might twist His Word into a loophole that we might use against Him in court at judgement in order to justify ourselves. We are not justified by our own feelings, thoughts, or misunderstanding of His will — we can only be saved by the Blood of the Lamb and justified by grace through faith.

So, I must genuinely ask, “Has my old self been sacrificed? Does Christ truly live in me?” This is the all important question, my friends.

Heavenly Father, I believe in you, and I trust and believe in Jesus Christ who lived a sinless life, died a sinners death on the cross, was dead, buried in a tomb, and rose again to life, and sits on your right hand of authority, to judge between those who are alive in Christ or dead in sin. I believe that by myself, I am spiritually weak and sinful — but by the power of your Holy Spirit you are bearing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self- control in my life for the glory of God and for the revealing of the Children of God to be a light of hope in the midst of a dying world. Help us to have your Word written upon our hearts, to live out the spiritual principals that fulfill the law of Christ, and to be the body of Christ serving and loving one another. Amen.

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“Less” Absolutely Can Be “More” (And Many Times IS)

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41‭-‬44 NLT

This “Kingdom Principal” as demonstrated in this story contrasts the way of the world with God’s perfect “The Way”.

In the world’s way, the rich will make a great show and honor people who donate large sums to sort their organizations — because it is focused on the tangible money.

But in “The Kingdom of God” it is about spiritual principals and the manifestation of the gifts of God’s Holy Spirit. If a billionaire gives tens of thousands of dollars out of his surplus to a cause, it is not sacrificial — and might even be in order to gain a tax advantage or receive praise and honor from other people for his contributions. But a poor person giving their last few dollars may not look like much from the world’s perspective of finance and power — while it may be a powerful, spiritual demonstration of faith and genuine worship.

I love hearing very talented singers praise God. But they might be worshiping out of the surplus of their talent, just like the rich people in the scripture account do with their money. I can get more excited spiritually and in my heart when I hear someone “less talented” that is unashamed and unafraid in their genuine worship of God where they have clearly given it their all. Some of my favorite people to have join my worship collaborations on Smule are several singers who have Downs Syndrome, who the world might not value as “singers”. But I am so very humbled and encouraged by their genuine and fully surrendered worship.

There are so many areas of our lives that we could look at this way that aren’t just money and singing.

What do our lives look like in the light of these “Kingdom Principals” and not just when measured by the yardstick of morality, dogma, and human judgement?

What do our hearts truly look like in the light of heaven’s view on our “contributions”?

Thank you Lord that the point of this is not our shame, but our repentance and our sanctification. Help our eyes to see from an all important spiritual view of your Kingdom at work on earth even as it is in heaven. Amen.

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Give It To Him

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7 NLT

I met a man at breakfast this morning who mentioned that he was about to go home and read his Bible.

Excited to be sitting with him at the counter in our little neighborhood diner (and looking forward to some good conversation about The Word) — I asked what book of the Bible he was reading in currently. He said that he had already read through the New Testament four times this year. I thought that maybe he misheard me, so I asked again which book of the Bible he was currently reading.

He said that he had just started reading Revelation, so I mentioned that I really love the advice that is given to each of the seven churches — and he looked at me with a blank stare as if I was speaking a different language. But again, I wondered if maybe he just hasn’t heard me properly.

Then he said that he really loves the book of John, so I commented that is one of my favorite books too, because John speaks the gospel from the heart of things. He then replied that he “doesn’t like the parts where John was bragging”. So I asked if he meant the parts where John referred to himself as the disciple that Jesus loved. He confirmed that is what he meant and said “that was bragging because Jesus loved all the disciples equally and John shouldn’t think that He loved him and not the others”. I responded that it always seemed to me to be a reference from John not necessarily cutting down anyone else but simply genuinely praising God for how close and loved Jesus made him feel personally. I couldn’t really tell if he agreed or not on my perspective, but I was still excited to be talking about The Word with a fellow believer.

He then said that he really likes 1 Samuel, and I agreed that is such a good book also. I commented how I really loved how Samuel himself doesn’t show the huge character flaws that we see in most people in the Bible, and how he was consecrated from birth and served God very faithfully in the Biblical account (other than his children not following in his ways). I commented how I had lived the prodigal life until the gospel and the Lord’s mercy drew me back home to learn about things like salvation, sanctification, the work of the Holy Spirit, and God’s Kingdom. I mentioned how I’d rather my daughter live a wise life serving God more like Samuel’s example rather than having to learn everything the hard way before realizing that God’s way is best.

And at this point, the man’s attitude completely shifted and it was like he went on the attack.

He started asking me what my denomination was in a very confrontational way. I simply replied, “I am a Christian seeking to walk in The Way.” To which he pressed me again on what denomination I was. I replied that I love and have friends and pastor friends in many different denominations and care for them all equally. He pressed me again, and I tried to explain to him that our family church that we attend is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, but that I also enjoy sometimes visiting friends’ churches that are Pentacostal, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.

But he didn’t seem to be listening and directly accused me of “forsaking the assembly”. Mind you, this man didn’t know me from Adam and was doing this in the middle of a crowded restaurant. I explained that we attend church as a family regularly on Sundays and celebrate the Lord’s Day each Sunday, and that I also like to be mindful of the Sabbath, from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown and the role it plays in God’s Word. I mentioned that I thought that denominations sometimes get in the way and mentioned what the Bible says about pure and undefiled religion being to provide for orphans and widows and to not be polluted by the world. To which this man says, “Well, I wouldn’t know about that, I only believe and follow the Bible.”

It was such an odd interaction considering that I was excited thinking that I’d found a Christian brother who loves the Lord and The Word. And I ran through the conversation in my head over and over as we drove home — but eventually I had to let it go. A similar thing happened with someone on social media recently, so I want to learn from these things and understand how I might handle them better in the future.

However, like today’s verse tells us, these types of things we just have to sometimes hand over to God.

Lord, I don’t always understand. Help me to trust you. Help me to be in your will and to demonstrate your love and to have no part in this things you hate. Amen.