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What is expected?

On a hike with a bunch of ex-military guys from church, the question came up of “What is expected of us as men?” My heart remembered an Old Testament verse that included “what is expected/required of you”, so I looked it up on my phone right there and shared it:

‭No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 NLT‬

What is expected of us?

1) Be Just

2) Love mercy

3) Walk humbly

We might look at the Ten Commandments or the list of laws and all the teachings of the prophets to find that they are teaching us these simple things about God’s person and nature. They are preparing us to be “Holy as He is Holy” — not to be some dead religious rule keeper — but a wise, just, merciful, loving being that is alive with the fire of life —  like our creator God who is Father and Friend.

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When no water reveals a flood of blessings…

Yesterday morning, we woke up to no water in the house. We discovered that our deep freeze had died some time ago (ruining all of the food in it) and that it had tripped the GFCI. That circuit also powers the heat wrap for our well, so we also found out that our well had frozen outside and the pipes/tank had burst.

So I put a call in to the well company and tried to figure out how I could work dealing with the well repair person and getting this freezer and ruined food to the dump in the middle of a horribly busy day.

But thankfully, I was working from home today, and I have an amazing team that I work with who are all trustworthy, hardworking, and who are supportive whenever something comes up in our “real lives” for any team member. I just let them know what was going on and that I might be AFK (away from my keyboard) a few times throughout the day dealing with everything. Mia and Mandee were also very understanding and used bottled water for getting ready for school and work.

The well ended up being really costly repairs, but we are now better prepared for the future, and the unsightly shack we had built around it is now replaced with a less noticeable fake rock. And the money that was left over from the insurance paying for my stolen truck (along with funds from our Dave Ramsey inspired “Emergency Fund”) helped us cover the expenses. No doubt, it will have implications on our budget for a year or so, but my wife and I remembered earlier times in our marriage where we would have been looking to help from others or paying high interest to cover our emergencies — and we had an opportunity to thank God together. And we got to share with so many how the unexpected situation of a stolen truck ended up being a blessing in the end.

And I was able to load up my trailer and make it to the dump literally as the last person they were letting in. I got everything unloaded and even had employees at the dump driving out right behind me to leave for the end of their day! And I made it home in time for time with family before covering a long night of scheduled maintenance work for my team that helped cover for me during the day.

Several times, as I hit what seemed like roadblocks, I just humbly prayed, “Lord, I could really use some help with ____” and thanked Him — and my wife and I had a great conversation about how amazing it is how heartfelt, surrendered prayer when we are beyond what we can control have a miraculous way of being answered time and time again. What a wonderfully exhausting and grateful sleep I had after such a crazy day!

Then, this morning I woke up to Facebook reminding me of this graphic that I created 7 years ago:

What a great reminder to do be JUST, be MERCIFUL, and be HUMBLE in everything we do.

If there is something worth making a resolution for this year, it’s that my life will better reflect these three — and I need the power of Love, the power of the Holy Spirit, of Christ in me, to fuel this into who I am at my core.

We have so much to be grateful for that even the emergencies, even the unexpected expenses, even the unexpected inconveniences have the handprints of God’s justice, His mercy, and His willingness to humble Himself to be a part of “our little lives” daily.

Thank you Jesus!

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Who have you invited?

Who we invite says a lot about us.

Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”
Luke 14:14 NLT

The natural man understands these three things:

  • Inviting rich and respected people who can pay him a good return on his investment in inviting them
  • Inviting those very much like himself in appearance, standing, opinions, and passions to build support for his own causes
  • Inviting a poor man as long as his display of pity towards the man can be applauded and praised

But what about the man whose heart for them drives him to invite just as easily the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, the rich, the comfortable, the healthy, and all men of all walks of life?

Could we say that such a spiritual man was just, and impartial, and kind, and humble — and might have a glimpse at what great value lies beneath the varied outward coverings in every case?

Might we do well ourselves to lay down those familiar traditions and perspectives — and turn away from those old, natural ways of invitation contrived for the means of manipulations and exclusions?

Lord, help us to see your example of grace and mercy — giving us what we could not earn nor could we ever repay. Help us treasure this in our hearts and be molded and shaped to be more like you. Amen.

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“They didn’t go with us, so they can’t have any”

Be like Christ. 
Deny ourselves and serve others. 
Commit ourselves to do justice and show mercy. 
Care and love for the elderly,  the infirm, the needy, the poor,  and those who cannot or will not return our kindness. 
Yes, this is a Christian life – to show the world a reflection of God’s very nature that lives in us. 

Then David returned to the brook Besor and met up with the 200 men who had been left behind because they were too exhausted to go with him. They went out to meet David and his men, and David greeted them joyfully. But some evil troublemakers among David’s men said, “They didn’t go with us, so they can’t have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone.” But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us. Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.” From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today. – 1 Samuel 30:21‭-‬25 NLT

Why do we worry ourselves about what someone else “deserves”? Why are we so quick to point fingers at the imperfections of one another? 
Friends, have we forgotten love? Have we forgotten mercy?  Have we forgotten that we do not “deserve” His grace ourselves?
Let’s not fall into self righteous hypocrisy by thinking that we deserve anything better than those around us. Let’s not begin to think that our service to the Lord is a burden we bear or a coat we have payoffs for our freedom – or we might find ourselves falling short of the grace of God by submitting ourselves again to the law so we might measure and compare one another in our shameful pride.
No. Encourage one another in good works,  and love one another, and serve together in lifting high the name of Jesus Christ,  whose blood was shed on Calvary for you and I so that our works may be filthy rags,  but His work done through His Holy Ones might be glorious testimonies of His very nature and spirit. 

And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.” Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the Lord ! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.” – Revelation 19:5‭-‬9 NLT

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Mercy

Oh, give thanks to the Lord , for He  is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Psalms 118:1 NKJV

הֹודוּ לַיהוָה כִּי־טֹוב כִּי לְעֹולָם חַסְדֹּֽו׃

Strong’s H2617 – checed
From חָסַד (H2616)

The KJV translates Strongs H2617 in the following manner: mercy (149x), kindness (40x), lovingkindness (30x), goodness (12x), kindly (5x), merciful (4x), favour (3x), good (1x), goodliness (1x), pity (1x), reproach (1x), wicked thing (1x).

חֶסֶד cheçed, kheh’-sed; from H2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subjectively) beauty:—favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

image

[Godly mercy is not passive – it is active. It is not simply an exchange of forgiveness for sacrifice,  that is religion. It is an exchange of His active participation in our lives for our belief and surrender,  that is Christ. God’s ways are quite different than the ways of men.

His mercy endures forever towards us – we cannot escape it no matter what we do – because His mercy is poured out the same to all, but is received quite differently depending on our hearts.

He is merciful enough to chasten us when we are in rebellion, He is merciful enough to forgive us when we are repentant,  and He is merciful enough to surrender the reprobate to their true desires.

This is why the very same truth of the Word of God can produce revelation in one, conviction in another, and rejection in yet another. His mercy, His Truth, His way does not change, it endures forever, it abides, it is eternal and victorious.]

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13:13 NKJV

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Our confidence is in His mercy

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.
Psalms 33:18-22 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/psa.33.18-22.NKJV

Our confidence is in your mercy,  Lord, not in our worthiness. We have nothing to boast in but you,  Lord. Our security is found in you,  not our works,  not our wealth,  not even in our religious sacrifices – only in you.

Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
None of  them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—
For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah
Psalms 49:1, 5-7, 10, 15 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/psa.49.1-15.NKJV

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No excuses, faith. Oh, yeah, and don’t forget about the law.

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
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 freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. 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 declares sinners to be 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. 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 3:19-28, 30-31 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.3.19-31.NLT

Continue reading “No excuses, faith. Oh, yeah, and don’t forget about the law.” →

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His or mine?

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.
Acts of the Apostles 4:32 NLT
http://bible.com/116/act.4.32.NLT

Imagine a body of believers united in heart and mind,  dedicated to each other, not considering anything their own but God’s – sharing without a second thought when another is in need.

So what is the problem? What are our excuses?

Continue reading “His or mine?” →

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In battle, do we lift up our eyes, or just charge blindly?

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord . Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my Lord say to his servant?”
Joshua 5:13-14 ESV
http://bible.com/59/jos.5.13-14.ESV

How often do we see the world as men and women of flesh and blood who are either for us or against us?  But the Bible tells us about our real enemies –

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
http://bible.com/59/eph.6.12.ESV

Joshua “lifted up his eyes and looked” and gained something very valuable for His battle. He didn’t charge blindly into battle because the enemy was nearby – he “lifted up his eyes and looked”.

This commander of heaven’s armies demonstrates to Joshua clearly that his loyalty is to God, not to a nation of people  – when Joshua asks a question expecting an A or B answer and instead gets a whole new answer outside his original frame of reference.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come? 
My help comes from the Lord ,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2 ESV
http://bible.com/59/psa.121.1-2.ESV

You see,  sometimes our frame of reference reverts to this physical world and the ways that it operates and we don’t have the spiritual vision or awareness to understand what it means from that higher perspective. If this battle was just about one people against another, then men receive glory from each other for the victory. But Joshua was not called to receive glory for himself or even for Israel. He wasn’t called to be loyal to men but to God. The glory of the battle was meant to be for God.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:1-2 ESV
http://bible.com/59/col.3.1-2.ESV

When we lift our thoughts out of the distractions of this world and remember that we are not at battle against men of flesh and blood, but that we do battle against principalities and evil forces that work through those around us who are still in chains of bondage – we begin to realize that it’s about the Lord being glorified in our choices, our decisions,  our reactions.

Each moment of opposition felt from another person is actually an opportunity to show them love, mercy,  forgiveness, gentleness,  kindness, and self control in return. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that Christ has won yet another battle in our lives and that we are not simply walking in the flesh,  reacting the way that the world expects.

But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:12-13 ESV
http://bible.com/59/mat.9.12-13.ESV

When struck in the face by another, when accused unjustly, when shamed and spit upon by the world, the world reacts in kind – but Christ calls us out to be set apart as a peculiar people. He tells us to turn the other cheek. He tells us to give and love even to those who would steal from us. He tells us that lost souls in need of love are more valuable to win over as friends of Christ than to let die as enemies.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:4-7 ESV
http://bible.com/59/luk.15.4-7.ESV

Yes, He tells us to pick up our cross and bear it for one another. Not to bear it for those we think are deserving of His love and forgiveness,  because none of us, are deserving. Not me. Not you.

But we love because He first loved us.

Our battle is not against one another.

And our loyalty is not to self.

He is Lord, He is Savior, He is Redeemer, and He has won the victory!

To God be the Glory in our lives today.

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Even me. Amazing grace.

image

Oh how foolish a life this old man of flesh lived before I found Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I proved myself doomed to destruction time after time with my choices,  with my actions,  with my words. In my ignorance,  I used the idea of salvation like a trickster,  twisting words to fit my own goals – excusing my rebellion and continued sin, wearying the Lord with my foolishness and disobedience.

I knew nothing of Christ. I knew nothing of a renewed life surrendered to the Lord. I just knew the example of hypocrites around me practicing their religion and buying their get out of hell free tickets. But oh, how things have changed.

Continue reading “Even me. Amazing grace.” →