Category: Uncategorized

Irritation

We all will face circumstances, or even people, that irritate us — that don’t go the way we think they should go.

We can come up with all kinds of justifications in our minds for our grumbling, our criticism, our anger — but that is all just our carnal nature examining and comparing and inflating our own ego to the point where we say, “I know better!!!”

But this is not the way of Christ, little children of our Almighty Heavenly Father. He says, “Do not judge one another” and “forgive” and “love your enemy”. And if this seems beyond your ability, it is because your trust lies in your own inability to accomplish it, not in His overwhelming ability to accomplish anything and everything. This is carnal thinking, relying on the ability of self — and it is the same type of thinking that leads us to judge others and grumble about our circumstances.

But to die daily to our carnal ways and choose instead to fellowship in spirit with Holy, Almighty God — will have us slowing our mental pace when we encounter “irritations” to “be still and know that He is God” and to remember that “we are not”.

Lord, help us, when we encounter those familiar irritations, to surrender them to you — to not fall into old patterns of carnal thinking and grumbling and complaining and anger — but to trust that you have a plan and purpose, and to provide us with a kind answer that soothes angry feelings. Amen.

What were you arguing about?

Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?” They were silent. On the road they had argued about who was the greatest. He sat down and called the twelve apostles. He told them, “Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else.” Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He put his arms around the child and said to them, “Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us.” Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me. Whoever isn’t against us is for us. I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.” “These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck.
Mark 9:33‭-‬42 GW
https://bible.com/bible/70/mrk.9.33-42.GW

There are plenty of people who want to see themselves as the greatest, who want to argue, who want to try and exercise authority over others — even within the group who gathers together to follow Christ. But we see here that such behavior does not come from the spirit of Christ but is from the sinful nature of man, it rises up from the pride of life and is not the result of humble awe and wonder found in seeking the Lord.

It would be easy at this point to agree eagerly and point our fingers at some outwardly religious and judgemental person we know within the church who has behaved this way towards us and say, “Yes! See, we must stop them from teaching their vile behaviors to others! We must not listen to them! We must earn others of them!” When this rises up, and we are not quick to listen and slow to speak — we would be better off to first warn others not to listen to us!!!

Don’t fall into the temptation to aim this teaching outward towards others, and like the disciples, argue amongst yourselves who is greatest (and in turn make judgements about who you wrongly think is least) or you will be walking as blindly and confused as the disciples were before Jesus called them out. No, if Christ calls out his followers, and we claim to be a follower ourselves — our reaction shouldn’t be, “Look at those foolish disciples!” as if not including ourselves in the group to be corrected here. Our reaction should be to listen and look at ourselves. Where have we been prideful, religious, judgemental, divisive when it comes to other followers of Christ?

When have we too wanted to see ourselves as the greatest, wanted to argue, wanted to try and exercise authority over others? And those who quickly answer to themselves that they are innocent of such things — usually are not standing in close and right and humble relationship to the Lord, no matter how often they are seen amongst the religious crowd.

So first, we must ask whether we are willing to examine ourselves honestly and truly. Because the leaven of self- righteousness piety, of condemnation, of judgemental actions towards others sho their best to ship wreck the faith of these little ones around us — and who will answer for such things. We might know of those in “church leadership” whose hypocrisy and self-righteousness and argumentative and divisive nature has seemingly driven our ship off faith towards the rocks — and God grant us the grace to pray for our faith to be strengthened for their sake as well as our own. To rejoice in the thought that anyone have a milestone around their neck is to rejoice in a shipwrecked faith, so please, never let that be so in our hearts, Lord!!!

Can we see how this teaching, when aimed outward at others only breeds competition and division, but when we examine ourselves we can repent and be humbled ands praise God for the unmerited favor He shows us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Stop trying to be great. You aren’t.

To even think that you are sets you on the path to failure.

If your vision is that you are to build great men and women of God up with your own hands — even if your intentions are to build up a legacy and monument to honor the Lord — you should first ask (like David did when he wanted to build a temple for the Lord) to see if that is even your appointed task.

And we all should know that it is not a temple built by the hands of men where the spirit of the Lord dwells. Religious men build up many converts and proselytes who are twice the wicked and empty tombs they are themselves — regardless how bright and shiny and greatly honored they are in public view. It would be good to rest assured that this is not the type of builder you are — that the work be the hand of the Lord and not your own chiseling and cutting and shaping and molding and manipulating. There are grand architects hiding in the shadows asserting such religious construction efforts that will all be swept away by the consuming fires in the end.

No. See clearly your own overwhelming need for the gospel truth, your need for Christ Jesus, your need to fall humbly in awe at the foot of the cross, amazed that any of us “foolish followers” would have a chance to remain in the throne room of Almighty God and not be utterly destroyed (and rightly so) by the consuming fire that is our God. We should fall on our faces, praying that we trust that His promises are true, and that we come with nothing of value to offer but our testimony of His mercy and grace and glory and honor.

Lord, help us. You know our many failures and shortcomings, but we have covered the door posts of our lives with the Blood of the Lamb, and we are singing your praises and sharing our testimonies. We know that you have overcome ands that yours is the victory. Keep us in your grace and see us through to your glory and honor, in spite of our foolishness. Help us walk upright to the point that it might encourage others that your promises address true ands that they might long for your presence as well — but not so that in our own sight we would be comfortable standing proudly in the way of another or building up any obstacles or hindrances to Amy that would know you as Lord and Savior. Forgive us for those times that we may have in the past, and lead us along your narrow way. Amen.

I Am Weak, He Is Strong

One man says, “To Hell with God’s standards!” (1)

Another man says, “YOU all need to be sure to live up to God’s standards!” (2)

Yet another man says, “LORD, I have fallen short of your standards. I can’t live up to them on my own. Change my heart and establish my steps to walk in your way. I know YOU can do it.” (3)

I don’t look at the many examples of people falling short in the Bible and think to myself, “I’m not going to be like them! I’m not going to make their same mistakes!” (4)

No, I say to myself, “I see my own weaknesses and imperfections, the same as in these others, and I see that great contrast to Christ’s perfection. I see even the disciples, even after Pentecost still making mistakes and their weaknesses still being evidence to the glory of God.” (5) (6)

I say, “If I will walk upright, it will only be by the power of God and nothing else, because I can’t on my own.” (7)

So I don’t strive to be “good enough” or to be a “great man of God” or to “slay my Goliaths” — nor am I expecting you to go out and do the same. (8) (9) (10)

No, I will tell you that if you admit your weaknesses, pray for repentance and forgiveness and deliverance, that God will do a mighty work in those who humble themselves — but He opposes the proud. (11) (12)

Christians,

Rely upon Christ.
Encourage your brothers and sisters to rely upon Christ.
When you find yourself looking outward at others, rely upon Christ that He has a plan for them, and pray for them that He will accomplish a mighty work in them.
When you find yourself wanting to motivate people to action, motivate them first to humility and relying upon Christ.

Don’t make relying upon Christ a buzzword at the end of a sermon that lays heavy burdens and raises heavy walls and stands in the way of those seeking to enter in. (13) (14)

You who preach this gospel, do not waver — we aren’t master architects building “great men of God” — we are messengers bringing testimony of our weaknesses and His strength — so that others might have eyes to see in the same awe and wonder as we the glory of our God — beware the leaven… (15)

Amen!

1. Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!
Psalms 14:1 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.14.1.NLT

2. Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:1‭-‬14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gal.3.1-14.NLT

3. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
Romans 3:21‭-‬31 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.3.21-31.NLT

4. Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer : ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
Luke 18:9‭-‬12 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.18.9-12.NLT

5. “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:13‭-‬14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.18.13-14.NLT

6. And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles. In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do. But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 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 2:6‭-‬21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gal.2.6-21.NLT

7. The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Psalms 37:23‭-‬24 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.37.23-24.NLT

8. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9‭-‬10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2co.12.9-10.NLT

9. Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.
John 7:18 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.7.18.NLT

10. But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:39‭-‬48 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.5.39-48.NLT

11. Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:1‭-‬10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/eph.2.1-10.NLT

12. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
James 4:6‭-‬10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.4.6-10.NLT

13. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.
Matthew 23:13 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.23.13.NLT

14. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.11.28-30.NLT

15. “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”
Luke 20:46‭-‬47 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.20.46-47.NLT

Trusting in the Lord

I truly enjoy time with the Lord in Spirit through prayer, reverence, faith, hope, worship, and revelation. It is in that place of first love of God, of appreciating Him upon the throne of my life as both Lord and savior that so much is made new and alive even in the midst of challenge, struggle, trial and opposition.

I am learning to trust in the Lord more in this way than I even rely on my own natural soul (psyche) or natural body (senses) — which can both deceive.

When I look at the above two dimensional drawing, I can see in my mind how it can logically be compared to the:

– Triune nature of God: Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, and Son come in the Flesh

– Layout of the tabernacle: outer court, holy place, most holy place

– Layout of the temple: porch, outer sanctuary, holy of holies

– Man’s three in one being: spirit, natural soul, and physical body

I’m not going to stand here on this website soapbox and tell you that I have it all figured out and that “X is the right answer” and shun you for not agreeing with me. I have new things taught to me everyday, and I’ve come to understand that my own reasoning and understanding and imagination comes from my natural man and can easily be flawed. I don’t trust that part of me 100%, and neither should you — but we should test all such things by the Word of God.

Having said that, years ago, I started this website — not because I felt that I had something to “teach others”, but because as I started learning and being taught by my teacher through those spiritual gates as shown in the diagram above, I wanted to be transparent and open and accountable and correctable. This is still my purpose today.

At times, I have faced criticisms and opposition, and other times I have been warmly welcomed into readers hearts and considerations — and I appreciate both because God is being glorified in all of it.

I can see that it is God alone who is trustworthy and reliable in bringing the increase in something that He is doing, that He has ordained. Whether during times where my body and my natural were generating page after page of content — or during times where my body and my natural were showing much less evidence in output of additional content — He is producing consistently a growth and a change in me, and seemingly a growth in outreach through the site. We have averaged a growth of 30 percent per year during the 5 year history of the site. And that has been with no marketing efforts, no boosting of posts for visibility — just sharing my journey as transparently as possible as a Student of the Word of God.

I know that some are destined to be teachers, but I am a student. I trust in the communion that I experience through the Holy Spirit and what my teacher teaches me one on one in that special place so inadequately illustrated in the middle of that diagram at the beginning of this post. And in sharing, I don’t want to be your teacher, but I want you to come to know THE TEACHER, personally, spiritually, consciously, and physically as an undeniable presence in your life.

Do you know “about Him” or do you know Him?

Do you “read about Him” or do you “spend time with Him in that Holy place”?

I encourage you — even if the wicked hate you for it — and even if the religious hate you even more for it (because they both will at times if you are doing it right) — seek Him first. Trust Him. He will do amazing things — in spite of your shortcomings and failures.

Don’t settle for being a well polished tomb of a dying body carrying around a natural soul that is starved from any spiritual nourishment or life because there is no real connection to the life giving source through the glory of God — come alive in Christ Jesus and spend time with God. And share this amazing truth with others as well.

God bless you and yours in this New Year!

When Passion Goes Quiet

There is a saying in the business world that you might catch on sites like LinkedIn, etc.:

“The biggest concern for any organization should be when their most passionate people become quiet.” – Tim McClure

For example, articles like this one: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-passion-becomes-quiet-sean-kelsey-1f

Will tell us that:

• Breach of trust: leadership integrity is paramount to maintaining relationships and keeping people focused and energized. Not living the company values inevitably leads to distrust.
• Lack of leadership consistency: fairness, consistently applied, leads to a growing confidence amongst the staff complement. Employees feel insecure when there is favoritism, nepotism or irregular behavior on the part of leadership. 
• Being overlooked: not being listened to, being ignored or contribution not being recognized all lead to apathy. Energy gets sucked out of the system and people lose heart.
• Dishonesty: leadership untruths breed distrust. Employees easily perceive dishonesty and hate any attempts at being conned. 
• Insufficient information and communication: where managers withhold pertinent pieces of information for power purposes or fail to communicate adequately with employees, staff feel neglected and worthless.
• Leadership selfishness: big leadership bonuses with small pay increases for employees, benefits and values being ‘customized’ to suit leadership desires, etc.
• Lack of vision: when leadership operates out of a vague sense of direction with little or no communication of an expected future state. 

I’m not going to agree with Mr. McClue’s conclusion for the “biggest concern for any organization” because in the history of the world of business — many organizations have been insanely profitable on the broken backs of quiet people who were there not out of passion but out of necessity. It sounds great as a sound bite, and could even be helpful to leadership understanding the consequences of their leadership style and the culture it breeds. And it could be helpful to recognize when a once passionate and engaged team member has become disengaged. But even G.I. Joe will tell you that “knowing is half the battle” — it’s the other half that still has to be won, though.

So what can we as Christians say to such things?

When we find that the fallible humans in leadership roles around us have:

– Broken our trust by not living the espoused values

– Been inconsistent, unfair, and shown favoritism and irregular behavior

– Outright ignored/snubbed, or not listened to, or not recognized subordinates fairly for our contribution

– Been dishonest, deceitful, and manipulative

– Not communicated sufficient information or guidance/direction

What guidance does the Word of God have for us when we find ourselves in such a place?

Is our passion and purpose meant to die on the vine in such circumstances with an excuse like:

Where there is no vision, the people perish:
Proverbs 29:18a KJV

when the wicked rule, the people groan. Proverbs 29:2b ESV

No! Of course not! Because we do not find our hope in men. We do not even work for men. I love how straightforward the paraphrase version of this is from Colossians:

Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.
Colossians 3:22‭-‬25 MSG

And we are called to patiently endure evil:

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil. 2 Timothy 2:24 ESV

And we are to respect those in authority over us:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. Roman’s 13:1-7

Will this always be easy when we are faced with the consequences of bad leaders around us?

No, of course not! But the experience of enduring will produce character in us. Problems and trials help develop endurance. Endurance develops strength of character. And character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. Don’t just take MY word for it — see what The Word says in Romans:

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:3‭-‬8 NLT

Yes, He died for us while we were still sinners. He suffered unjustly with no cause. Are we so prideful that we think, “I deserve to be treated better than this!” Or that we would look at another fallible man in authority over us and somehow self justify resisting their authority because of their shortcomings — even while we refuse to pray for them:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:1‭-‬3 NLT

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:44‭-‬48 NLT

Or are we like Jonah who didn’t want God to save the people of Ninevah but he would have rather seen them destroyed?

Oh, Lord, grant us repentance and teach us to truly pray for those in authority over us and those who persecute us and treat us unfairly. It is only by the power of your Holy Spirit that we can accomplish such amazing things that are contrary to our nature. Instead of allowing us to foolishly make war with enemies greater than ourselves — Lord, go before us and prepare the way for victory without us even having to fight. Let us pray and praise your Holy name instead. Be both our passion and our purpose. To God be all the glory. Amen!

Miserable Comforters

“I have heard all this before. What miserable comforters you are! Won’t you ever stop blowing hot air? What makes you keep on talking?
Job 16:2‭-‬3 NLT

I just love the book of Job.

Job, more than many other servants of God, Job has seen clearly that:

for our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:29 ESV

And…

For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
Hebrews 12:6 NLT

We are each worthy of punishment. We have all fallen short of God’s glorious perfection. And discipline, and even suffering and persecution in this life, are always good for us — they produce in us a harvest of right living, of character built through endurance. They are the narrow path by which we share in His holiness.

When we have our eyes set upon eternity, momentary sufferings are endured through hope in the Lord and not in ourselves. We find our comfort in the arms of the Lord, because He is in the midst of the furnace with us. He may not remove the bitter cup of suffering from our hands, but He will not forsake us. Think back to Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace:

Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Daniel 3:14‭-‬18 NLT

Or remember Joseph put in the pit by his brothers, or in the jail by false accusations. Servant of God, remember this when suffering comes and those around you prove to be miserable comforters:

Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” Satan replied to the Lord , “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord ’s presence.
Job 1:8‭-‬12 NLT

But remember even moreso, when you religious hypocrites (like Job’s “friends”) seek to attack another with the Word of God, judge another, make assumptions about why another is suffering harm.

Would you wicked people go to a man who has just lost a child and say, “It is your sin that has found you out and this is why your child has died.”

Would you wicked people see your enemy suffer harm and rejoice in it? Have you forgotten that a forgiven man is a forgiving man and is one who loves his neighbors and blesses those who consider themselves his enemies.

Would you wicked people judge a person by his outside circumstances and appearance alone? Have you forgotten the empty tomb of death and lies and wickedness and jealousy and pride and sinfulness that lies at the core of you that can only be covered up by the blood of Jesus Christ shed for you on a cross?

Yes, we may know many who have been miserable comforters to us in our times of suffering — but dwelling on that does little but sow seeds of bitterness towards an outward target with a speck in their eye. No, instead of proudly placing ourselves in the seat of “persecuted” and staying there — maybe se need to be reminded of how many times we have been miserable comforters to others, how often we have failed to forgive, how often we have lifted up accusations against others in our minds and in our hearts.

Lord, forgive us. We have many times been miserable comforters to our brothers, sisters, and neighbors. Help us to love, to comfort, to make peace — and to endure. Amen.

Don’t Engage Toxic People

One of the quickest ways to enrage a toxic person is to refuse to engage them on their own terms — and it is one of the best ways to restore your own peace and do not allow them to continue stealing it from you.

Your peace does not have to be contingent upon whether or not toxic people around you continue to do things like:

– Giving Unsolicited Advice
– Insulting Others
– Spreading Gossip
– Pitting people against each other
– Constant Criticism
– Not Respecting Boundaries
Etc. (See the linked article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theactivetimes.com/healthy-living/habits-of-toxic-people%3famp )

This Christmas, you may have enemies who masquerade as friends, you may have family or friends who thrive on drama, you may have people around you who insist on conflict, abusive behavior, and all kinds of pride and narcissism — who want to leverage their physical proximity to you during the holidays to sink their poisonous fangs into you. Or maybe I’m the only one who sees the possible evidence of such things around themselves?

Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. And if you are a Christian, you believe that God came in the flesh to offer us a salvation that we couldn’t earn ourselves because we were all enemies of God. We see times when the people sought to kill Him and He just seemingly walked right through them thwarting their plans ands not getting engaged with them on their terms. We see the Pharisees asking Him questions to try and trap Him and He doesn’t engage their attack, He redirects and leaves them grumbling amongst themselves. We see when they sought to try Him that He was silent and did not engage them directly and even suffered their attacks and persecution, knowing that there was something much greater at stake — suffering for the sins of the world. His suffering had a purpose, and therefore,  He could withstand the taunts and not have to engage them on their terms.

We can learn from this example.  We know that the Bible tells us to “resist the devil and he will flee” — but tells us “do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.” So if we are dealing with an evil person who likes to provoke and attack us, we are encouraged to not engage them on their terms. And when we trust and obey in this way, when we offer blessing to those who seek to curse us — we are free and full of peace, while it is to them “like having hot coals dumped on their heads”.

Lord, give us the humility and gratitude and trust in you that allows us to not engage those who are toxic and evil, but to “[walk] right through the crowd and [go] on [our] way” as You did in Luke 4:30 and “[hide] [ourselves]”  as You did in John 8:59 and “[escape] their grasp” as You did in John 10:39. Order our footsteps and be delighted in our way. Remind us of what we can expect from wolves as described in Matthew chapter 10, but let our hope be in you and not in ourselves. Amen.

The Mind of God

Verses about the LORD does not change:

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
Malachi 3:6 ESV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17 ESV

Verses about the LORD will not change His mind or will not turn back:

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
Psalms 110:4 ESV

“For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back.”
Jeremiah 4:28 ESV

I am the Lord . I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God .”
Ezekiel 24:14 ESV

Verses about the LORD regretted, repented, and/or relented:

And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord .
Genesis 6:6‭-‬8 ESV

Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'” And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
Exodus 32:12‭-‬14 ESV

For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free.
Deuteronomy 32:36 ESV

Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them.
Judges 2:18 ESV

“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.
1 Samuel 15:11 ESV

And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
1 Samuel 15:35 ESV

And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
2 Samuel 24:16 ESV

And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw, and he relented from the calamity. And he said to the angel who was working destruction, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
1 Chronicles 21:15 ESV

Return, O Lord ! How long? Have pity on your servants!
Psalms 90:13 ESV

For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
Psalms 106:45 ESV

For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
Psalms 135:14 ESV

If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.
Jeremiah 18:7‭-‬10 ESV

It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds.
Jeremiah 26:3 ESV

Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you.
Jeremiah 26:13 ESV

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord , and did not the Lord relent of the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster upon ourselves.”
Jeremiah 26:19 ESV

and said to them, “Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before him: If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you.
Jeremiah 42:9‭-‬10 ESV

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord , “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?
Joel 2:12‭-‬14 ESV

When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said, “O Lord God , please forgive! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!” The Lord relented concerning this: “It shall not be,” said the Lord . This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, the Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. Then I said, “O Lord God , please cease! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!” The Lord relented concerning this: “This also shall not be,” said the Lord God .
Amos 7:2‭-‬6 ESV

Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Jonah 3:9‭-‬10 ESV

Verses contrasting the mind of the LORD to man’s:

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
Numbers 23:19 ESV

And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”
1 Samuel 15:29 ESV

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:9 ESV

in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
Titus 1:2 ESV

so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
Hebrews 6:18 ESV

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8‭-‬9 ESV

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
Romans 11:33‭-‬34 ESV

Encouragement when it is hard for us to put the above together into perfect harmony and understanding– He knows:

O Lord , you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach. Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord , God of hosts. I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? Therefore thus says the Lord : “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord . I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Jeremiah 15:15‭-‬21 ESV

And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God , you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord . Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord .” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God : Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God : Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord , when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord ; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord .”
Ezekiel 37:3‭-‬14 ESV

Wait and Hope

When we find ourselves in circumstances where we have been receiving “bad” or “challenging” news repeatedly for a while, the words “wait and hope” can seem… well… tiresome to be quite honest. If you were struggling, and I told you to “wait and hope”, that might not seem very helpful if you were worn and tired and didn’t know if there was any reason to continue to hold out hope any longer.

You might be weighing the options trying to decide whether to hold out hope in the direction you have been headed, or whether a change in direction is necessary. You might be at the end of your own strength ands no.t knowing how much longer you can make it under the current circumstances.

The Psalmist writes:

I wait for the Lord , my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
Psalms 130:5 ESV

And Isaiah tells us:

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28‭-‬31 ESV

And Matthew tells us:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 ESV

So when we understand “wait and hope”, it doesn’t just mean to “wait for the bad to pass” and “hope that better things lie ahead” — it means “wait upon the Lord” and “hope in His word”.

You might ask, “What does it even mean to wait upon the Lord?”

“Waiting upon” is not the same as “waiting for”.

If I am “waiting for” someone — I have an expectation of their arrival, they are coming to meet me.

If I am “waiting upon” someone — I am serving them, I am going to them.

Can you see the difference in direction?

“Waiting for” means I’m expecting someone to come to me, while “waiting upon” means I am going to them and serving them willingly.

So can we see the difference in perspective with respect to God?

Are we “waiting for God” to “fix” or circumstances to what we think they should be — expecting God’s to come to us on our own terms and conditions?

Or are we “waiting upon God” as God and faithful servants seeking God’s wil and His glory in whatever circumstances the day brings to bear?

And when it comes to “hope” — are we “hoping for” what we want instead of “hoping in” His Word?

Again, we see the same difference in direction with regards comparing a carnal “hope for” versus a spirit filled “hope in”.

So yes, if you are tired, if you are weary, if you do not know where to turn, I say “wait and hope” dear friend — wait UPON the Lord and hope IN the Lord. And in that perspective, you will know peace even in the midst of the fiery furnace and the raging storm.