Category: Uncategorized

Making Amends

​”He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.” – Leviticus 5:16 ESV

God’s Word provides for us wonderful instruction in how to handle making amends when we have done wrong. The example is not that we should just ask forgiveness and continue the same path. The example is not that we should just ask forgiveness and make restitution back to how things were before. The example is given that we should make restitution “plus some” so the person is better off than before our actions harmed them. 

Whether we have stolen, 

Whether we have not paid back a debt.

Whether we have claimed something found as our own.

Whether we have caused them harm intentionally or unintentionally,  we are to make amends with that person. 

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor or has found something lost and lied about it, swearing falsely—in any of all the things that people do and sin thereby— if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt. And he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering. – Leviticus 6:1‭-‬6 ESV

And we aren’t supposed to be lime the Pharisees who followed the letter of the law but didn’t live in the Spirit of the law. This makes it clear to us that we should make amends not only over “things” stolen, but also over our actions, our words, our bitterness or withholding forgiveness. Yes, this is meant to be a life of repentance, a life walking in the Spirit bearing the fruit of a life surrendered to pouring out love onto others.

We don’t use the idea of grace to excuse our continued hurting and oppression of our brothers and sisters. And we don’t use Jesus or religion or law or tithes as an excuse for why we haven’t made things right or done what we know is right towards another person, or withold what we owe them.

He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” – Matthew 15:3‭-‬9 ESV

And another way to say the same thing:

Pay your debts as they come due. However, one debt you can never finish paying is the debt of love that you owe each other. The one who loves another person has fulfilled Moses’ Teachings. The commandments, “Never commit adultery; never murder; never steal; never have wrong desires,” and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Love never does anything that is harmful to a neighbor. Therefore, love fulfills Moses’ Teachings. – Romans 13:8‭-‬10 GW

If there is some area of your life that is not right with God,go to Him in humble, repentant prayer. If there is some address of your life where you have hurt someone else, make amends now for your debts.

According to Proverbs 22:7 (NIV), “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” When Dave was confronted with this Scripture, he had to really consider who was right—his broke finance professor, who taught that debt is a tool, or God, who never has anything good to say about debt. – The Truth about Debt, Dave Ramsey

And:

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. First go away and make peace with that person. Then come back and offer your gift. “Make peace quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court with him. Otherwise, he will hand you over to the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison. I can guarantee this truth: You will never get out until you pay every penny of your fine.
Matthew 5:23‭-‬26 GW

I do not say these things to leave you trapped in guilt and shame, but to encourage you towards love and good works – and so that you might be a blessing to others and not a burden. I say this so that the ones who have operated as thieves will learn discipline and hard work and will not only provide for themselves, but will become generous providers for others as well. I say these things because I have learned these things are the best, they are the way that I follow, they are the Truth that leads to life.

You were taught to change the way you were living. The person you used to be will ruin you through desires that deceive you. However, you were taught to have a new attitude. You were also taught to become a new person created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. So then, get rid of lies. Speak the truth to each other, because we are all members of the same body. Be angry without sinning. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the devil any opportunity ⌊to work⌋. Thieves must quit stealing and, instead, they must work hard. They should do something good with their hands so that they’ll have something to share with those in need. Don’t say anything that would hurt ⌊another person⌋. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you.
Ephesians 4:22‭-‬29 GW

Lord, do not let this Word fall by the wayside. Lord, do not let it be stolen away. Do not let it just stir our feelings and excite us for us to give up when the challenge comes. Lord, plant this firmly into our hearts and minds, and help us to live this out. Renew us to walk in Truth and Love. Amen.

Fun acquaintance, True friend

​”Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.” – 1 Samuel 18:3 ESV

True, valuable friendships aren’t made in the parties and the celebrations, they are made in the trenches. 

In the trenches of World War I, the norms of tactile contact between men changed profoundly. Mutilation and mortality, loneliness and boredom, the strain of constant bombardment, the breakdown of language and the sense of alienation from home led to a new level of intimacy and intensity under which the carefully constructed mores of civilian society broke down. As historian Joanna Bourke has documented in her exciting work on First World War and masculinity, men nursed and fed their friends when ill; they bathed together; they held each other as they danced, and during the long winter months, wrapped blankets around each other. These moments were often grounded in experiential reality, the nature of these encounters – men on the verge of death, under fire, or being ill – giving them an emotional nakedness and intensity that not only outlive their contingent nature but that continue to grow in emotional value and resonance. It is debatable whether these relationships were those of “comradeship” or personal “friendship” or trench “brotherhood”: each of these relationships had its particular nuance and value, though it is difficult to straitjacket human relationships and feelings, especially in times of physical and emotional extremity. Moreover, they were all forms of male intimacy during crisis with inevitable overlaps or continuity at times and touch seems to have cut across the range of these relationships. The conditions of trench life dictated that there could be moments of perilous intimacy between relative strangers: the trench journal Poil et Plume (October, 1916) records an incident where a severely wounded man fell on an unknown stretcher-bearer and said, “Embrace me. I want to die with you”. On the other hand, W. A. Quinton recalls how one night, as he lay shivering, “old Petch put his overcoat in addition to my own over me, taking care to tuck me in as a mother would a child.” A. F. B. notes, in The Third Battalion Magazine, that Smalley was the great favourite of the Third Battalion for “his heart was as big as his body – his strength like a lion’s – his touch to the wounded as a woman’s.” 

– revised extract from the chapter ‘Kiss me, Hardy: the dying kiss in the First World War Trenches’ in Santanu Das, Touch and Intimacy in First World War Literature (Cambridge University Press, 2005).

These days, the combination of social media and political correctness and so many other divisive and isolating societal factors seems to leave us with a wealth of acquaintances who might know about us to the surface level, but very few friends (if any) with whom we have deep, meaningful, trusting, and truly loving relationships. These types of relationships come as a result of costly commitment, not conditional companionship. They are the result of lIves intertwined  that bear the frayed edges of a worn life of bearing the weight together. 

And if you have this type of friendship and love with someone, it is to be so highly valued amidst the things of this world that most of us call treasure, favor, or blessing. And if we don’t have it, our hearts long for it and hope for it, not knowing if we could ever actually find it. But how does one find such a thing? 

Many of us have been hurt and betrayed enough times that we have given up hope in finding someone that we could trust at that deep and meaningful level. so we stop stepping up to the plate because everyone has failed us,  because everyone at some ppint has fallen short and let us down, so we let ourselves slip into isolation. We decide to develop singular coping mechanisms for dealing with our problems,  which really end up being us burying them and housing them to fester and take root deep within. 

There is something that can’t be explained in the freedom of sharing our faults and struggles with a fellow man or woman and to have them hold us, tell us that they are there for us,  pray with us, and weather the storm by our side. Yes, this is a treasure. And it starts with our being willing to bear those burdens for others ourselves. It starts with us stepping into the messiness and discomfort of someone else’s personal struggle and not just offering to bear the weight, but stepping in and lifting them up and caring them, even in those times where they put up a fight at first. This is what love looks like. 

“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.

John 15:12‭-‬14 ESV

http://bible.com/59/jhn.15.12-14.ESV

Lord, send us about your work today. strengthen us to build those books that are strong and true and trustworthy because they are made of the stuff of your Holy Spirit. Bind us together and heal us by the commitments and faithfulness that are lives serving and encouraging, and even correcting and holding each other accountable in that true love that isn’t judgemental expectation,  but is hopeful, unwavering trust that comes from two or more gathered together truly seeking your touch, your counsel, your will. We love you, Lord. Let us walk together with You,  close together, seeing your very character and nature showing itself to us in those who love you and who love us – and rising that they might catch a glimpse of the same in us. Amen.

Familiar friend, Close enemy

​For it is not an enemy who taunts me— 

then I could bear it; 

it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— 

then I could hide from him.  

But it is you, 

a man, my equal, 

my companion, my familiar friend.  

We used to take sweet counsel together; 

within God’s house we walked in the throng.  

Let death steal over them; 

let them go down to Sheol alive; 

for evil is in their dwelling place 

and in their heart.  

But I call to God, 

and the Lord will save me.  

Evening and morning and at noon 

I utter my complaint and moan, 

and he hears my voice.  

He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, 

for many are arrayed against me.  

God will give ear and humble them, 

he who is enthroned from of old, 

Selah 

because they do not change and do not fear God.

Psalms 55:12‭-‬19 ESV

There are so many warnings in the Bible about trusting in men. Check out this link for some of the top verses:  https://www.openbible.info/topics/trusting_man

And even with all of these warnings, most of us rely on men more than we do on God. Most of us are satisfied “hearing from God” through a man once a week instead of seeking God close and personal. Even those who seek God many times fall into relying on theology and systems and denominations and traditions instead of maintaining an open dialog with God through the Holy Spirit. 
I wonder how many of us take the warnings of Micah to heart:

“Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms;  for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.  But as for me, I will look to the Lord ; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” – Micah 7:5‭-‬7 ESV

I see men around me that I once considered friends that I know will stumble me if I walk in their paths. I see men that once tried to teach me and their apparent hypocrisy and pride, and their apparent lack of fear of God, and either their lack of mercy or of warning others of the wages of sin, and their apparent abundance of love for the world or tradition or the honor of self — leads them along cliffs that I dare not walk with them.

And even though I know these men of flesh and blood are not themselves my enemies, I fear how many might be proven as used by my true enemies?

So I look to God as my refuge and as my safe harbor. He alone is trusted to be faithful and true. Not the traditions of pagans gathered by the religious to incorporate into their celebrations – even your days and weeks and months and practices seem to all have been touched, corrupted, perverted at the hands of men who want to put God safely inside a box of their own liking. 

I do understand the redeeming power of Almighty God to turn all things to good,  even those things meant by the enemy for harm – but the more that I discern, the more that I examine and question my own heart. The more that I see “not quite right” in myself, the more that I see it in those around me. I am learning to hate so much of this fallen world even while learning to live those trapped in it. 
And all I can do of any true redeeming value is draw closer to the Lord, serve Him through my opportunities to serve others, share this Good News, and remain steadfast awaiting His return. 

Who do I trust? 

God. He is not my enemy. 

Or if He were, what hope would I have anyways? 

So there lies my trust. 

Eloquent Lives

​And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” – Luke 2:20 ESV

In C.H. Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students, he comments:

It is remarkable that the only church history we have is, “The Acts of the Apostles.” The Holy Spirit has not preserved their sermons.

 Throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the majority of the content is telling about the lives of people. And it isn’t about their lives inside a building performing rituals, it is about their day to day lives and how God impacted the world around them in their day through their faithfulnesa (or through their disobedience). What is recorded isn’t as much about their religion — their “playing church” or “offering sacrifices” or “singing praises” — but is about their lives, about God’s abiding presence and its affect on them and thode around them. 

The Shepherds weren’t great orators. They didn’t put together perfectly planned out entertainment packages and expositional doctrinal teachings in front of those who would gather around them. No, they had seen Jesus — so they went along their lives and daily responsibilities, changed deeply by this experience, and sharing and rejoicing with all they met. 

Lord, help us to live eloquent lives of praising and glorifying you, not just practiced, familiar words spoken, but a life lived as our reasonable service. Acts of Christians, not just sermons of preachers. Amen.

Not “only human”

​”to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:22‭-‬24 ESV

How often have we used the excuses,  “I’m only human…””or “I’m just a sinner…” to justify our continuing to not walk in obedience? That is not profitable, friends,  nor is the example that the Word of God lays out for us. 

There is a word that Jesus used to describe those who talked about God and who attended religious services but who had no real interest in living close to God. Jesus called them “Hypocrites”.

You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said,  ‘This people honors Me with their lips ,  But their heart is far away from Me .  ‘But in vain do they worship Me ,  For they teach as  doctrines the precepts of men .’” – MATTHEW 15:7‭-‬9 AMP

We are not meant to just “play church” on Sundays and then return to “real life” the rest of the week. Our tithes,  our songs, our saying amen to the points of a sermon, out confessing our sins yet again – these are not the weekly sacrifices that God wants from us so that He will leave us alone and forget about what we’ve done once again. No, that is the mind of a lost, religious person who is far from God and desires no real relationship with God, even though they understand and recognize the difference between right and wrong. 

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” – 2 Peter 2:20‭-‬22 ESV

Grace is not an excuse to remain in sin. If this is your concept of grace, one that pushes you further and further away from God’s will,  I encourage you to examine yourself.

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

We who are His, who are called Children of God, who hear His voice and follow Him, who He abides and walks and talks with, who walking in Spirit and Truth not in flesh and confusion – we have a purpose and a calling today, and it is not to be proven children of disobedience who cry out “Lord, Lord” but, who have no intention of loving and serving God.

“Not everyone who  says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will  enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who  does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7:21‭-‬23 ESV

So if we say we believe, let it be true. Let it be evident in our lives, not so that we would look religious and be honored by others, but so that we might bear the fruit of a surrendered life. 

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20 ESV

And let’s encourage one another with our love of God, love of His instruction, and love of our fellow brothers and sisters. 

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.  For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. – Hebrews 10:23‭-‬31 ESV

Let’s live it out for His glory,  as our reasonable service,  the result of our grattitude for this undeserved gift of grace. 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1‭-‬2 ESV

Lord, focus our hearts and minds on your purposes today. Lead us along the path of righteousness for your own name’s sake. Deliver us from evil and prove yourself victorious through the living testimony of our living and serving you today, Lord. Help us to see past the tricks of the enemy and to set our eyes firmly upon you today,  Lord. We believe,  Lord, we are yours with Christ as our solid foundation – we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and we believe that He is risen from the dead to sit in authority and power to judge between the born again and the dead. Prove us to be alive with your Holy Spirit. Bring us through the fiery trials of this life and show the see aroma of your presence, your peace, your Love, your very nature and character, alive and evident in us today. Demonstrate that we are not “merely human”, but are born again,  new creations. Amen.

How will you do it, Lord?

​Abram said, “Lord God , what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?” And Abram continued, “Since You have given no child to me, one (a servant) born in my house is my heir.” Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man [Eliezer] will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.” And the Lord brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars–if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So [numerous] shall your descendants be.” Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord ; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man). And He said to him, “I am the [same] Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance.” – GENESIS 15:2‭-‬7 AMP

Abraham didn’t understand how God was going to make this happen, but He trusted God anyways. How often do we get this backwards? Trying to understand or define how God operates? Trying to confine God to a comfortable box that we can wrap our heads around instead of kneeling in awe and reverence before and Almighty God who can be trusted? 

Lord,  don’t let our hunger for wisdom and understanding outpace our faithfulness and trust in you. Keep us near to you,  Lord, so that we might remain humble and obedient and loving and just, for your glory and honor. Amen.

Don’t miss the roses

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? For whom are you looking?” Supposing that He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you are the one who has carried Him away from here, tell me where you have put Him, and I will take Him away.” – JOHN 20:15 AMP​

How often have we thought He was just a man in need on the street corner, just a passerby on the sidewalk or in the hall, just a heaven laden mother trying to make it through the grocery store with her kids in tow, just a person that has fallen on tough times, just a person who has made poor choices…

Let’s look at the full passage of scripture. 

But Mary [who had returned] was standing outside the tomb sobbing; and so, as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She told them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” After saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? For whom are you looking?” Supposing that He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you are the one who has carried Him away from here, tell me where you have put Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “ Do not hold Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came, reporting to the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her.

JOHN 20:11‭-‬18 AMP

And don’t we see this recurring theme of the Lord being present but not being heard or seen or recognized?

Let love of your fellow believers continue. Do not neglect to extend hospitality to strangers [especially among the family of believers–being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. – HEBREWS 13:1‭-‬2 AMP

And isn’t this in fact quite important to understanding the condemnation:

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

John 3:19‭-‬21 NKJV

So it makes it much easier to understand the judgement:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;  I was  naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;  I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’  Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:31‭-‬46 NKJV

Open our eyes to see you, Lord, so that we can enjoy those precious moments in the garden with you. Amen.

Let’s try resting AFTER all of our work…

​”So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” – Genesis 2:3 ESV

#RestIfYouveWorked

I love this example of resting as a natural part of productive work. Rest not as something that would allow us to be lazy and unproductive and a non-contributor to those we should be assisting and providing for –  but as part of a progression, of a pattern, of a glimpse of some things that appear drastically different that when working together rightly in the correct order.

Yes, rest at the end of our work is productive and effective in producing a great multiplication of our end results, because it allows a new season of productive work. 

“Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” – 1 Timothy 5:7‭-‬8 ESV

“For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.  As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:10‭-‬15 ESV

I also love that we aren’t to twist God’s example of rest on the seventh into only a hard,  religious requirement of the letter of the law that would hinder observance of “those greater parts of the law – mercy, justice, and faithfulness”. The Pharisees of today are still more immersed in heavy burdens of laws to restrict and confine,  instead of being anointed by the Spirit of the Law to love,  serve, forgive, and restore. 

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” – Mark 2:27 ESV

Do you see the beauty of it? The balance of it?

Just like we need the rest of Winter to allow for the new birth of Spring, the perseverence through the heat of Summer, and the fruitfulness of the harvest – do you see it?

Do you see the need for an imperfect people, in order for God to show that rightly working perfection is demonstrated more clearly and beautifully in the contrast allowed by the mercies of His love than in any rigid and unwavering law. The world can’t adequately measure what the hands can’t touch,  what the eyes can’t see, what the ears can’t hear,  what the tongue can’t tate – but what the heart cannot deny – a truth greater than measurement – a touch stronger than E=mc^2.

Yes, it is that narrow path. When I try to tell you, I find it is better instead to show you so that it isn’t lost in translation. He says, “Come walk with me,  and I will show you the way. I will lift off your heavy burdens and give you rest.” 

Rest in that right measure,  in that balance, in that abiding trust in an Almighty God who loves you and who has made this Sabbath, this rest, for you. Will you enter into His rest today? 

Will you confess that He is Lord and believe in your heart,  and will you demonstrate it to others in your walk today? Not a walk of heavy obligation, but a dance of gratitude and praise – for the price paid, for the undeserved grace, for the inescapable beauty of this relationship with a living and loving God who is changing us – who is bringing us from the cold death of winter into the new life of spring so that we might last through the summer and see the fruit being bared in its due season. 

If this is your time to be working,  work!

If this is your time to be resting,  rest! 

If you have been doing either for too long,  repent! 

May the Lord bless you and lead you in His beautiful purpose, today and forevermore. Amen.

Blessed be the name of the Lord

​And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord .” – Job 1:21 ESV

#BlessedBeTheLord

If we only praise God when our circumstances live up to our wants, are we interested in being “Blessed”? That word in Hebrew is pronounced “barak”, which means “kneeling” – as an act of adoration, where we acknowledge our position as servant and God as master.

 Or are we only interested in God if we can be the one in control,  saying to Him, “Servant,  go fetch this for me. Do this for me. Do that for me.”

Our God is Almighty God, not a pagan genie in a bottle, not a trapped demon to be manipulated by the binding Word of God, not a counterfeit (like mammon) that offers worldliness and pleasures of the flesh but has no power to save or redeem or deliver into freedom and a truly abundant life. No, we serve the Lord God Almighty, maker of heavens and earth, God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and who came in the flesh as Jesus Christ to deliver you and I to a reconciled relationship with Him.

In fact, can’t we see that our God isn’t just the God of “prosperity, health, and favor”,  but our God is the God of the poor, the needy,  the afflicted, the lost,  the humble.  And He reaches them through you and I who are in that “Blessed” position of humble servant to our fellow man – so that we can truly say like Job, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return.Whether the Lord gives or takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord .”

Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?  If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. – James 2:5‭-‬8 ESV

I will NEVER be _______ before God

“I will NEVER be _________ before God.”

The voices that fill in this blank in our heads will tell us a lot.

Are we complacent in our answer to this because we really don’t believe that’s for anyone but the religious fools to contemplate and meditate on?

Are we unnecessarily holding ourselves under the chains of guilt and shame before a perfect God?

Are we afraid to believe Him when He says that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus?

Are we proudly making much of our obvious blessings, favor and honor amongst men?

Won’t our answer tell us something?

What does the Psalmist, that man who it is said was after God’s heart, fill his sentence with?

​I wait quietly before God, 

for my victory comes from him. 

He alone is my rock and my salvation, 

my fortress where I will never be shaken.

So many enemies against one man— 

all of them trying to kill me. 

To them I’m just a broken-down wall or a tottering fence. 

They plan to topple me from my high position. 

They delight in telling lies about me. 

They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. 

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, 

for my hope is in him. 

He alone is my rock and my salvation, 

my fortress where I will not be shaken. 

My victory and honor come from God alone. 

He is my refuge, a rock 

where no enemy can reach me. 

O my people, trust in him at all times. 

Pour out your heart to him, 

for God is our refuge. 

Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, 

and the powerful are not what they appear to be. 

If you weigh them on the scales, 

together they are lighter than a breath of air. 

Don’t make your living by extortion 

or put your hope in stealing. 

And if your wealth increases, 

don’t make it the center of your life. 

God has spoken plainly, 

and I have heard it many times: 

Power, O God, belongs to you; 

unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. 

Surely you repay all people 

according to what they have done.

Psalms 62:1‭-‬12 NLT

http://bible.com/116/psa.62.1-12.NLT

Whether you need hope in the darkness…
Whether you need a reminder that He died for your sin…
Whether you need that encouragement as you read along through the trials and struggles…
Whether you need to be humbled and chastened and restored to a heart of loving, grateful, obedience…

He is Faithful and True.

Confess “Jesus is Lord”, believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.

Let’s not build a religious system and tradition from the childlike faith that delivered you from bondage to sin and death!

Let’s not tear down the work that has begun upon the solid foundation of Christ alone, our cornerstone!

Let’s not turn from our promised freedom to a life of slavery, because he who Christ has set free is free indeed!

See your sin cast as far as the east is from the west by the aiming power of the blood of the Lamb. Your sin is forgiven! Go and sin no more.

Come before Him with confidence.

IN HIS PRESENCE, I WILL NEVER BE SHAKEN.

PEACE, BE QUIET, BE STILL.

Thus says the Word of God.

This is for you, Child of God, for those who have ears to hear.

Peace, be still.