Promises

This morning as I sit down to pray I am reminded once again of a theme that has been on my mind, the patience of the Lord, and His fulfilling His promises.  We had an event at church Friday evening and I had a chance to briefly share and read a couple of verses from 2 Peter.  As I was reading them I could definitely sense there was more the Lord was doing and releasing.  I thought I would spend some time mining those same verses this morning.  Here are the verses- 2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV:

[8] “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. [9] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

One of my regular reflection themes is how the Lord is different than us, His thinking and HIs ways (See Isaiah 55:8-9) and these verses once again highlight the Lord’s difference from us.  We want everything now, He is patient beyond our comprehension.  We think we know what His Promises mean, but often only grasp the smallest facet of His Promise.  We struggle in time, He is outside of time, and so has no real concern, for He sees everything in every moment!  His view of time is vastly different than ours! 

I think Peter must have just caught the smallest glimpse of God’s perspective, for he seemed to grasp a bit of God's intimate knowledge of everything and everybody, all at the same time (one day is like a thousand years).  At the same time He must have seen the smallest glimpse of God’s position outside of time, able to look at any moment, in any age, being present, and understanding everything, but at the same time seeing the landscape of thousands of years in an instant. This simple sentence should open a door for us into the absolute microcosmic and macro-cosmic nature of God.  

In school I took two courses that really helped me see this reality, without being religious in nature, microbiology and astronomy.  Having a small understanding of the inner workings of the cell, of the mitochondria, of the critical and foundational functions that happen in the interior of our cells helped me see and appreciate the absolute wonder of order and function at our smallest level. Later when I took Astronomy, I was able to compare the micro with the macro, through the study of the heavens, universes, galaxies, planetary movements, and distances beyond real comprehension in light years. Having a faith perspective I saw in these studies beautiful order and the unknowable depth of the Glory of God, and was able to start to grasp just the tiniest piece of His immenseness and intimate knowledge.

This morning I am brought back to these ideas and thoughts by Peter’s observation and exclamation.  While helpful on one hand - it is in the application of these ideas to God’s faithfulness that really grabs my heart today.  I know that God is faithful, and operates with such a different perspective than ours, that at times it does seem like He is slow!  We think that HIs promises should be fulfilled right now, or in the next few days, and we don’t like waiting for anything or anybody (at least that is true for me!). We think we know what God means when He speaks a promise to us, and in my experience of His promises to me, I am almost always wrong about what His promises actually mean. 

For instance, more than 10 years ago the Lord spoke some promises to me about my job situation.  It felt like I was being launched into a time of significant success and multiplication and I was very excited.  In the midst of His releasing those promises, I was contacted by a company and given a new job that appeared to be the direct fulfillment of His recent promises.  I felt His hand guiding me, giving me favor, and then 3 years later that company closed its doors, and the promise of God never seemed fulfilled. 

That event began for me a real season of testing and frustration, as my career actually seemed to be going in the opposite direction.  I was so confused. I knew I had heard the Lord's word, and His promise, and yet could see no real fruit. In the ensuing years I changed jobs multiple times, bouncing between companies, technologies, etc. and always having enough to support our family, but never what seemed to be the fulfillment of His word over my  life. I picked up a random mix of skills and experiences that had limited market value, and seriously wondered if I had missed His promise somehow.

However, unbeknownst to me, God was aligning things and situations, companies, technologies and my employment so that in the last 2 years, I have stepped into what i can only describe as the most perfectly aligned opportunity that only a person with my exact random assortment of skills could succeed at, and have seen my career reach previously unapproachable heights.  

As I look back at my life I see the Lord crafting me for this time, this company, this opportunity.  I see His hand on every strange twist and turn, and see His crazy faithfulness, and attention to the most minute detail.  I see Him in the Micro and the Macro, and clearly am walking in some of the fulfilment of His promises, 10 years later.  

I am absolutely convinced that God saw this all in the moment when He spoke those promises to me, and while I was really close to giving up on those promises, He was always faithful! 

This brings me back to the words of Peter, God is not slow in fulfilling His promises, He is patient.  He knows everything and is at work in our lives in ways we cannot comprehend!  He hasn’t forgotten a single promise, and is faithful to fulfill them in the most perfect way.

On Friday evening, when I read these words I felt that there was an encouragement from the Lord, for us to revisit those dreams and promises that we have given up on, to dust them off and to lay them before Him!  God is faithful to fulfill all of His promises! He will never forsake us, nor abandon us.  As David writes in Psalm 9:10 NIV: “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” 

At one specific point in the last 10 years, I had to lay down my frustration, and my offense at the Lord for not fulfilling His promise the way I thought He should!  Frankly, I was in unbelief and was believing the accusations of the enemy, believing that all of my following God was in vain, and that He had abandoned me and forgotten His promise.  When I came to that place and laid it all down and asked for the Lord’s forgiveness, His answer was swift, and within a few days I could see Him at work, leading me on the path to today, and my experience of His fulfilling His promise.

My prayer is that all of us might understand today that He is not slow, He is patient, and He is faithful!  He hasn’t abandoned us, hasn’t forgotten us, hasn’t trashed our promises, hasn’t walked away!  Instead He has been carefully crafting the perfect fulfillment of His promises, and shepherding all the circumstances and situations into the perfect alignment to fulfill His promise, in the exact way He meant it to be fulfilled. 

My prayer is that we would step back from our demands and expectations and trust that He actually knows exactly what He meant, and its better than we could have thought our imagined, and perfectly inline with His will!  

My prayer is that we would see His hand at work, even in unfulfilled moments, seeing that glimpse of His greater plan, purpose and perspective!

My prayer is that we might put our hope in the Lord once again!  He is good!  He is faithful!  He loves us perfectly!  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, and totally in control at every point in-between.

As someone said recently, if it’s not good, He isn’t finished yet.  

Let us hold onto His promises, keep them fresh, and trust the He is absolutely watching over them to fulfill them!

Amen and Amen!  

 

The Kingdom In Our Midst

Last evening I was reflecting on some verses and reading out of Luke, Chapter 17.  This Chapter has plenty to reflect on, but the two verses that caught my eye were the following - Luke 17:20-21 NIV:

[20] “Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, [21] nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

I have reflected on these verses, or the parallel verses in other so the Gospels, several times, and it always amazes me that the Lord, in His wisdom, chooses to effectively hide His Kingdom inside of people!  There are no geographical boundaries to His Kingdom, no wall or border that separates His domain from others.  Jesus rightly prophesied that people could not see it, or observe it… for it is hidden in the hearts of His sons and daughters.  

There are clearly lands and nations that are affected by His Dominion, some walking in closer alignment with His Character and Revelation than others, but His not the recognized leader in any of them.  Instead, He is King over a Kingdom that spans the globe, and is present in almost every nation, tribe and tongue.  

I love the description of people of the Kingdom from an early church writing titled - Epistle to Diognetus 5:1-6, 9-10

[1] "For Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language, or customs. [2] For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric lifestyle. [3] This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the  thought and reflection of ingenious men, nor do they promote any human doctrine, as some do. [4] But while they live in both Greek and barbarian cities, as each one's lot was cast, and follow the local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship. [5] They live in their own countries, but only as aliens, they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign....[9]They live on the earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. [10] They obey the established laws; indeed in their private lives they transcend the laws."

I think one of the things that is most vexing about the Kingdom of God, for casual observers, doubters, and even sometimes people of His Kingdom, is its hiddenness when viewed externally.  We are, by and large, people who want to see and know, and have it all make sense.  God, however, is beyond our grasp of understanding, His thoughts Higher than ours (Is. 55:8-9), His ways unexplainable.  

We think that if God was real He would come to earth and clean up all the evil, wiping it from the face of the earth with awesome power, making every wrong right, healing all the disease and sickness, and reigning victoriously from His capitol city!  Our stories of other gods, even of comic book characters, almost always take this approach, and this is where God’s plan and purpose just make no earthly sense (at least to me).

Instead, He has chosen to visit the earth, to become fully man, and rather than reigning in power, He has humbly laid down His life, in payment for debt that we could not pay.  His Kingdom was established in the hearts of 120 followers, almost none of whom had political power, popular favor, or significance!  His Kingdom and His church were persecuted from the very start, and rather than collapsing, it exploded like wild-fire, capturing the hearts of millions, and spreading from city to city, nation to nation.  In the History of the world (that I know of) there is nothing like God’s Kingdom.  It has withstood the rigors of war, deprivation, outright attacks, efforts to destroy it at every turn, and yet it continues to expand and grow, capturing the hearts of billions of individuals!   

The Kingdom of God, and His reign are in our midst, even if we can’t see it with casual observation.  Members of His Kingdom, are our neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family.  My prayer is that His Kingdom would continue its aggressive growth and expansion, and that His Kingship would continue to bring health, healing, mercy, compassion and love to the world around us!

Amen!

Have the Mindset of Christ

This morning I am once again reminded of these verses from Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2:1-5 NIV:

[1] “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

[5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:”

That last sentence just grabs my heart this morning!  In my relationships with one another, that means every one in the Body of Christ, (I think he is specifically speaking about our Christian Brothers and sisters here) that I should think about them, have a similar perspective as Christ would have… have His mindset! 

I can’t even begin to imagine what that is really like, for He was here to love and save us all!  

He knew that He was laying down His life for us!  How can we even grasp for a moment His mindset?

I guess that the closest I can come is how I feel about my family, my wife, my children, their spouses and their children.  I would gladly do anything I can to help them, to be there for them, to serve them, even to laying down my life for them!  There is an absolute mindset in me that they are worthy of any sacrifice, not because of what they have done, but rather because of who they are, those that I love with my whole life! 

I imagine that Christ Jesus has this same mindset about each of us! Wow!

Going back to some of the most quoted verses in Scripture - John 3:16-17 NIV:

[16] “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

These two verses are worth mining for the rest of our lives, for they explain God’s motivation and plan so clearly. When Jesus issued His famous new command (John 13:34-35), I believe He was building on the foundation of these two verses. 

John 13:34-35 NIV:

[34] “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I think the phrase, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” perfectly captures Jesus’ mindset, His motivation and His invitation to us!  This is how we should live!  This is how the world will be changed!  This is what  putting on the mindset of Christ is all about!

Lord help us!  This certainly doesn’t flow out of our natural man!  

We need Your help Jesus!

Amen and Amen!

Supporting One Another Through Struggles

I was reading one of my Blogs from 2015 - based on Gal. 6;1-5 and it seems a really good model for life, growing in relationship with others in such a way that we might be able to help one another in their daily walk, and their daily struggles.  I have copied and expanded that blog entry below.

Here are the verses  - Galatians 6:1-5 NIV:

[1] “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. [2] Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. [3] If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. [4] Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, [5] for each one should carry their own load.” 

It is so interesting reading the English translation and then going back and reading the original language and seeing what if any differences there may be.  Breaking down the Greek:

In verse one, the word Paul used that was translated sin, was not the common Greek word Hamartia, which is defined as missing the mark, or having no share in (target), but rather the word Paraptoma, which is defined to fall beside or near something. The secondary definition is a lapse or deviation from the truth.  

The word translated restore is the Greek word katartizo which is defined as mending or making one complete, fixing something that is broken.  

The word translated temptation is the Greek word Peirazo which is defined as trying or testing whether something can be accomplished. 

Finally the word translated caught is Prolambano which is defined to take before, as in taking hold of someone by the hand before.

When I put those words together I get an image of a brother or sister walking alongside another brother or sister, reaching out their hand to steady them or help them when they stumble or fall and helping them back to their feet, back to the path, helping them fix anything that might have been broken. Paul encourages them to do so gently, lest the one helping might also be drawn into the testing.  I can almost picture two people walking together on a rough trail, steadying each other, both knowing they are the support for the other.  What an awesome picture of how to help one another in our faith walk.  Neither individual takes a judgmental position, but rather they are both acknowledging they are walking the path together.

This actually makes better sense as we shift into the second verse of bearing one another's burdens.  Why would Paul write that if He was just talking about catching someone in their sin? If the image is of walking down a path together, it makes perfect sense, for in the natural we often times will offer to carry the burden of another as they traverse a difficult stretch or their strength is waning.  When we are walking alongside another, we have an understanding of load each other is carrying, their strength and their needs.  Paul says this is fulfilling the law of Christ, which I think relates back to the commandment that Jesus gave us to love one another as He loved us, laying down His life.

Imagine if we all were willing to walk alongside one another and were willing to help each other in their time of need and struggle, willing to lay aside our own concerns and attentions and instead look to them to help them.  We see this type of behavior come out when we are confronted with major catastrophes, as in earthquakes, tornados, blizzards, etc.  People are willing to help one another, laying aside their own concerns for a while, going to those who need help and providing whatever aid and assistance they can.  It is in these times that we see the goodness in our neighbors and people around us.  I believe Paul's encouragement this morning is to live this way all the time.

As I was reading these verses  and this reflection, I was thinking about how important having people who we can trust to help us, and us them, especially in areas where we struggle. We have wonderful models for support groups of all sorts, grief support, dealing with divorce,  chemical dependency support, A.A, etc. These are such wonderful helps for those who are dealing with significant burdens in life.  As I noted above, the truth is that we probably should all live this way, and have groups that help support one another all the time.  

I think Paul, in his next sentences, identifies the issue that keeps us from living with such interdependence, namely pride!  We don’t want to admit that we all need help!  We want to compare ourselves to others and consider ourselves better than those that need help! 

I think in all areas, in all of our lives, we need encouragement, support, transparency and vulnerability with a trusted group of a few who we can trust totally.  If we are all truthful, we all struggle with sins, selfishness, and wanting things our way, which is more often than not in contrast to God’s ways!  Paul encourages us to take a real look at our own lives, not to compare with others, but to own our own state, and see ourselves as we really are! 

In this social media infested world, where people are aspiring “influencers”, the temptation to create and project false personas and false lifestyles is all around us.  Authenticity is being lost in the world of make-believe, pushed on us daily through social media. This is the exact opposite of what we are called to embrace in our lives as Christians.

I am reminded of Paul’s encouragement from his letter to the Philippians 2:1-4 NIV:

[1] Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

I am encouraged this morning to learn to walk alongside my brothers and sisters, learning to rely on their help and provide real help as well.  I am encouraged to make this a  lifestyle for every day rather than just during special times of extraordinary need.  I am encouraged to look at myself, to see who I really am, and how I am really doing.  I am encouraged to look for those that I can trust and be in relationship with, so that I might grow in my ability to love as Christ loves me.  Lord help me and help us to have such an attitude towards one another.

Amen and Amen!

Humility vs. Pride and Judgment

Last evening we had a time of prayer for our church, and the Lord stirred up some things in my mind and heart.  Last night I was rereading some of my writings from 2015, and the following (with some additions) is what I had written.

As I sat down to pray I felt like I should read from the letter of James 4:4-12 NIV:

[4] "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. [5] Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ? [6] But he gives us more grace.

That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

[7] Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

[11] Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. [12] There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you---who are you to judge your neighbor?"

It seems the theme the Lord specifically was pointing me towards had to do with humility and love for one another.  Our theme last evening was pushing past unity to full integration.  The only way a people can do this is to embrace humility.  Before we can do that we need to look at our lives and deal with our tendency to walk in judgment rather than love and acceptance.  

It is actually pretty interesting how often this whole topic is dealt with in the New Testament. The term judgment is used 65 times in the New Testament, and at least half of those speak of the Day of Judgment.  Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, Jude and the author of the letter to the Hebrews all write about judgment, so apparently it was an important subject.

It is interesting that James includes statements about judgment immediately following his discussion of the need to be humble. Actually I think that makes perfect sense for the one who judges takes a place above the one they judge, as if they have authority.  Putting ourselves above another, is really an indication of pride.  I saw somewhere recently a statement that pride is the chief weapon of satan.  It was clearly his main downfall, and makes sense that it is the chief tool he uses to cause us to sin.  At the core of this sin is the idea that we know better, and are better than those around us, and that can include God.

There is only one Judge, and when we take Jesus' place as judge over someone, are we not saying effectively that we are a better judge than He is? Maybe we don't believe that He is doing a good job judging them, or punishing them for their obvious sin.  Maybe we think that He is taking too long, and that He shouldn't be as merciful as He is.  Whatever the vague thoughts or feelings we have when we step into the position of judgment, we are effectively taking Jesus' place.  Lord have mercy on us!

Another attitude that seems to be common is when we assume the motives of someone else.  We look at their life and we think we know what they are thinking, and judge them accordingly.  Again, who knows our every thought and the secrets of our hearts?   It certainly is no one besides God.  For us to assume that we know, is once again us taking the rightful place of the Lord.  He is the only one who knows everything, who understands the person’s life, thoughts, emotions, sins and obedience and even their future.  He is the Lord of their life, and is fully capable of being their Lord.  He really doesn't need our help!

Additionally, as Jesus put it so eloquently, we need to deal with the plank in our own eye before we deal with the speck of sawdust in someone else's (Matt 7:3-5). In other words we need to humbly review our own life, and submit ourselves to His Lordship first.  If we humble ourselves, if we soberly view our own lives in comparison to Him, we will have a lifetime of opportunity to change ourselves.  We will have so much to focus on (our plank) that we really will never need to review anyone else's life.  

If we think we have it all figured out, or that we are doing really well in an area, then we likely have the plank of pride to deal with.  Every one of the Saints that I have read are convinced of their own sinfulness.  In fact it seems that the closer they get to Christ, the more aware they are of their own sinfulness.  I have yet to read of a Saint, who thought they were a Saint.  Every one of them was very aware of their own plank.

Finally, our decisions to be friends with the world (meaning we embrace the spirit of the world, and worldly attitudes and thoughts) puts us at enmity with God - yikes!  The word enmity means a deep and unfriendly feeling.  The word has the same root as our word enemy. I know I don’t want to be considered an enemy of God!!  

Jesus came to reveal the Father (Luke 10:21-22), to destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8) and to establish the Kingdom of God (Luke 4:43), anything that is not inline with these works is effectively working against Him.  The world would have us focus on our own initiatives, our own priorities, our own wants and needs.  I hate to say it but the root of that type of focus is pride.  We are saying that we know better how to live our life, understand what we need more than the Lord!  

The good news in all of this is that God knows each of us, our depravity, our cluelessness, our weakness, our sin, and our efforts to do good. He sees us in our need, sees our efforts, see everything and rather than judge us, He gives us more grace (James 4:6).  As I have written before, grace is the unmerited favor of the Lord.  In other words, lest we be prideful about this favor of God, it is unmerited, or unearned, as in nothing we have done has earned us His favor.  

He loved us while we were still sinners.  

He loved us so much that He died for us!  While we were still sinners.  

Nothing we did caused Him to extend this mercy, this forgiveness, this atoning sacrifice into our lives, yet He did. Praise God!

So, let us revel in His amazing grace, let us deal with our own planks and let us leave the judging and Lordship to Him. Let us press into love, into fellowship, into relationship with the Lord and with one another!

Finally I am reminded of a few verses Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV:

[20] “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Yes Lord, we want You to do more in us, more than we can ask or imagine, that you might be glorified in our lives and in Your Church!  

Finally, I am moved to pray Paul’s great encouragement from his letter to the Philippians 2:1-4 NIV:

[1] “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Amen and Amen!