Monthly Archives: September 2015

Strongholds that protect, not defeat you

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The proof of our love is found in our motives and actions, not just our words. Words persuade and entice. But actions speak louder. We can say, “I love God. I’m a Christian. I love others.” But saying does not prove anything about love. The proof of our love is found in the outward expression of the goodness God has placed in our hearts. It was never intended to remain there, but to fill us with an overflowing contentment that spills into the lives of others. The proof of our love comes not with boasting of our deeds but rather with “gentleness and meekness of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:1)

 

To find the source of the proof of our love requires we look more deeply, beyond “the surface of things” to the authority that speaks into our lives. What authority is this? It is whatever we allow to persuade our thinking and control our actions. Think of authority as being a stronghold in your life.

 

Have you ever noticed that there are two types of strongholds in life? There are those that keep you safe, like the protective walls of a great city. And there are those that take you captive and imprison you, like negative thinking and other lies. Your house is a sort of stronghold, built with secure walls and locked doors. But if we leave our front door open who will protect us? Our minds are like that. Either we have built up protecting walls, built on the solid foundation of God’s lasting truths that secure our thinking or we invite danger and evil to set up negative and pretentious arguments that distort our way of thinking and threaten our well being.

 

What king of a stronghold have you established? Is it one that protects and provides for your wellbeing or one that takes you captive to vain philosophies and self-limiting possibilities? One that builds you up or tears you down? One that makes you a conqueror or one that conquers you?

 

Paul reminds us that we have divine spiritual weapons to fight against strongholds that set to defeat us. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

 

Sometimes, we think we can defend ourselves with boasting of our own history of accomplishments and abilities. But those strongholds hold no protection for us. Everything we boast of could be gone tomorrow. Our bank account looks strong until it fails. Our health seems strong until it’s suddenly taken from us. Our family seems like a rock and refuge until it is divided.  Our vain thinking seems clever to us until the lies are exposed.

 

It’s only in submitting to the authority of the one who is able to demolish the negative strongholds in our life that we find real strength and protection. God is that final authority who speaks proven love and conquering truth. His Word builds protecting walls around our lives.  But strongholds are continually tested every day. Each new argument that speaks divisiveness, self-depreciation, and hurtful lies sets siege and seeks to become a stronghold that holds us prisoner, separated from all the good God intends for us. Each day it’s a new battle and a new battle field. Each moment is a choice, an opportunity to to trust and honor God or to go our own way.

 

Today is the day. This moment you are reading this is the time to declare again, “I will remain awake today. I will be vigilant. I will take captive every thought that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and make it obedient to Christ.  I will examine every lie against the truth of God’s Word and seek refuge in the walls that protect and prosper me, not the ones that imprison me in negative and futile thinking. Today I will live free as God intended.

 

 

 

The proof of your love

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The renowned champion won every contest battle. Appearing before the beautiful princess in the spectator stands, the accomplished knight professed to her, “I pledge my undying love to you, your majesty.” “How will you prove this love?” she asked. “For you, I will win the next battle and every one after that. Each victory will be dedicated to your glory.” The wise princess looked upon the skillful knight and remarked, “If you win, you win unto your own glory and the fame of your own name, not mine. It is in your nature to win and boast of your gain. If you want to prove your unselfish love for me, you must do what is contrary to your nature. To prove your love for me, you must lose!”

 

This made no sense to the knight. To his frame of mind, losing proves nothing, while winning proves everything. And yet, in order to prove his real love for the princess, he laid down his own nature, his right to win and his claim to fame. The princess winced as her knight suffered blow after humiliating blow. Watching him endure great pain brought tears to her eyes with each lost battle. But at the same time it brought joy to her heart, not because he suffered, but because it proved his love was pure.  So she sent word to the knight halfway through the contest, that now if he wanted to prove his love, he must win every battle that remained. Win? Now that his body was beaten and broken? Now he was to win? His head clouded by confusion, anger, and yet a determined heart, the knight set out to remain the remaining contests. And win he did, each battle that remained, proving beyond doubt that his love for the princess was pure, untainted by self-glory, and fully devoted to her. (Summary, A Knight’s Tale)

 

We profess our love in so many ways. If we’re honest with ourselves, we most love to profess our love in ways that gratify ourself. We love in the way we want to be loved. It is rare for someone to prove their love in a way that is contrary to their own self-pleasing nature. You’ll see it even in missions and ministry: gifted preachers give of themselves by preaching, skilled craftsman by building, talented cooks by cooking, the virtuoso singer by singing.  And it makes sense. After all, we are each gifted in order to bless others with those gifts.

 

But there is another proving of our love that demands we act contrary to our natural abilities, talents, and gifts. It’s part of denying self and following Jesus. I remember being emotionally and spiritually moved by a younger singer who performed technically rather badly, but with such purity of heart her song reached beyond critical ears to touch my soul. I’ve enjoyed quite ordinary meals made with such extraordinary love and generosity, they sustained me beyond my appetite. A somewhat bumbling expression of faith lacked the eloquence of a trained speaker but communicated volumes to my heart. And so it is with you and me. We don’t have to be particularly accomplished or renown to prove our love, just willing to surrender our rights to another.

 

In describing the “proof of love” demonstrated by the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 9, Paul didn’t extoll skills, talents or gifts. Rather he describes the proof of love as this:
Eagerness to help and readiness to give.
Enthusiasm that stirs one to action.
Preparation to serve.
Generosity and cheerfulness, not reluctance, in giving.

 

This is the description of how each of us can choose to live, purposefully as God intended. It’s a life that creates margins or room for God, the giver of our every blessing, and room for others. With such a life:

“…God is able to make all grace abound to you so that you will in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

 

All grace. All things. All times. All you need. Every good work.

 

The proof of our love is revealed in all the ways we live out our lives. Let today be proof of your love.

 

What is the bible to you, really?

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For some, the bible is like a special Toy, filled with delightful songs and rhymes that teach of a good, loving, and faithful God.

 

Sometimes the bible becomes a Trouble to those who find its words convicting and offensive to their self-seeking ways. I’ve been there, have you? In fact, the truth of the bible is intended to offend our senses, to convict of us wrong thinking, and to bring us closer to God. To those who reject it, the bible becomes a folly they consider best to ignore. Perhaps they think, “Maybe I’ll consider this later after I’ve lived my life.” Sadly, many never find the time or seize the opportunity to take advantage of the bible’s great comfort, wisdom, joy, purpose and promise for their lives.

 

Still others consider the bible to be a harsh Tyrant that squashes their sense of freedom with stringent lists of rules they think restrict them. They can’t be convinced that their newfound “freedoms” really are chains that enslave them to some other bondage and that the rules that they thought to restrict them are in reality keys that unlock shackled lives and bring freedom from despair and hopelessness. Some use the bible as a Tyrant to persecute and bully others, pointing out all their faults without extending a hand of grace and love.

 

To those who accept it, the bible becomes a resourceful Tool, offering practical helps for dealing with life’s everyday problems, wise counsel in times of trouble, safety in times of storms, direction when they are lost, and God’s purpose for our lives when all seems meaningless.

 

And still for others, the bible is much more than a Toy, a Trouble, a bully Tyrant, or even a helpful Tool to pull out them out of a problem-some situation. For them, the bible is a real Treasure. It’s a personal love story written from the Almighty Creator to them. Memorizing its verses helps them rely on the wisdom and practical helps it offers for everyday living. Singing its songs, psalms, and choruses of praise brings them comfort and strength for today and a certain hope for a better future. It replaces fear with faith, defeating troubles with victorious strategies, anxiety with peace, weakness with power, futile efforts with winning grace.

 

The bible has the power to transform our lives from being separated and lost to being found by God. For those who believe its truth it leads them to become children of God. To those who embrace its mercy and grace it transforms and renews them and makes them humble peacemakers (John 1:12, Romans 12:1, Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 5:9), not a people who are zealous with divisive and destructive words and actions. It opens our eyes, to see our purpose in life, to love God and love others (Philippians 2:3-4, Matthew 22:37-38). It is the assurance that calms all their fears and anxieties on earth and about heaven (Philippians 4:6-7, 1 John 5:13).

 

How we see the bible doesn’t change what it is. But it can change who we become. I hope you’ll take some time today to reflect on how you consider the bible and to actually read it for all it’s worth. Is it a Toy, a Trouble, a Tyrant, a Tool, or a Treasure? As you think about this, ask God to give you eyes to see him, a mind that understands, and a heart filled with the desire to follow him. There’s real “treasure” to be found!

 

Two things I ask of you, Lord

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Tevye (Fiddler On The Roof), speaking to God:
“Dear God, you made many, many poor people. I realize, of course, it’s no shame to be poor. But it’s no great honor either. So what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune? (Cue the song, “If I were a Rich Man.”) I really like Tevye, always weighing things out in discussion with God throughout the routine chores of his life.

 

Maybe at some point in your life, you’ve asked yourself the same question: Would it be so terrible if had a small fortune? Quickly, we start to imagine what we could do with such treasure at our disposal.

 

Recorded in Proverbs 30 is the request of one man, “Agur, son of Jakeh.” Here’s what he asked for:

“Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God. (V7-9)

 

The prayer of Agur was a lot different from the prayer of the man Jabez. Whereas Jabez asked for comfort and wealth, Agur asked for a pure heart, to be free of falsehood and lies and full of integrity. And he asked to neither too rich nor too poor. He longed neither after fortune or fame but simply that his life would honor God. What if we began each day with such a prayer, asking God to open our eyes and provide for us only in ways that would honor him. “Above all else, Lord, show me how to best honor you today!”

 

I wonder the same thing about our health and happiness. We all want more of both. It’s wonderful to be filled with happiness and to celebrate the joy of a healthy life! But as Agur discovered about riches, exceedingly abundant health can make us dull to the pain of those around us, to take for granted the serene fulfillment of breathing a clear breath without coughing, and to forget how very much we need God. And isn’t it true also that when we fall too chronically ill or unhappy, we find our focusing so much on our pain and sorrow that we lose sight of God’s grace? When pain and sorrow fill up every inch of space in our lives, they leave precious little room for the work of God’s grace.

 

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8, “We want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.” He says they gave out of their severe trials and extreme poverty. “They gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability.” (V 3) It’s a message my dear Tevye missed: how to give out of severe trial, extreme poverty, even above his ability. It’s a message we should not want to miss either.

 

But how did these suffering and poor people give so abundantly? How did they find joy in the midst of their sorrows and suffering? I think we find a clue in verse 5: “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord.”

 

Before they gave to others, before they looked to themselves, before they planned their daily agenda – they gave themselves first to the Lord.

 

You’ve probably noticed that if you serve yourself and all your “needs” first, there isn’t enough time, energy, or other treasures to give out to others. But when we give our first daily minutes to God, the first check of our payroll, the first energies of our days off, we discover the abundance of God’s grace for all else.

 

So as you go to God in prayer today, tomorrow, and each day, and ask “two things I ask of you Lord…”

 

Let one of them be to honor God in whatever you do and all you ask.

 

Have you come here to die?

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I understand this is the question a group from Ghana asks new missionaries when they arrive: “Have you come here to die?”

 

I suppose their motive is to find out if the new arrivals are “in it for the long haul.” Have they “packed their coffin” or are they already planning their return trip? In one sense, it’s a bit much to expect anyone to commit to a ministry or job or people group for an entire life. After all, statistics reveal that half of us don’t even commit to our “until death do we part” vows when we get married.

 

Paul may have referenced this commitment when he wrote to the people he loved in the Corinthian church: “You have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.” Earlier he implored them to “Make room for us in your hearts.” (2 Corinthians 7:2-3)

 

“Making room in our hearts for others” is not an exclusively Christian theme. I have a number of unbelieving friends who model this with such passion and excellence when they commit to others. But it is a specific call on all Christian lives, to live intentionally – for others. Making room means intentionally devoting our life’s time, love, concern, energy, and other valuable life resources for others. More than a one day event, it’s a lifetime calling. Is that something at which you excel? I know when we were abandoned by so many people when I was diagnosed with cancer, it caused me to ask, “Has this been a pattern in my own life? How am I doing at making room for others?”

 

Intentionally making room in our hearts for others is one thing, but are we really called to die for others? Maybe, if we call ourselves Christian. Let’s look at the life of the one who in fact DID come here to die. Jesus left his home in heaven to come here on earth as a vulnerable baby (fully human yet fully God) for one singular purpose: to die for your sins and mine. He not only made room in his heart for others, he devoted his whole life and death to reaching those who were ignored and even despised by others. He suffered excruciating pain on the cross and died for us. And he commanded us, whoever dares call themselves Christian, to follow him:

 

He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps.” 1 Peter 2:21

 

Paul describes “denying self” as putting others first, actually dying to self. He says, “I face death daily.” One version says, “I die daily to self.” (1 Corinthians 15:31)

 

It’s not the glitzy message of the rich TV evangelist, but it’s God’s message. You might or might not hear it in church or in your favorite Christian author’s books, but it is the message of God’s singular call on our lives to die to self and live for others. Some may tell you to just say a prayer to ask Jesus into your heart. But it’s so much more than a prayer. Making room in our heart for Jesus is a commitment to follow him, to live – or die –  totally for him. It means making room in our hearts for others. It means dying to self to we can fully live in his power and according to his good plan for us. And so, it’s a profound and relevant question as we each search our own heart:

 

Have I come here to die?

 

Or have I bought into the marketing scheme that I should live life for all it has to offer to me – my comfort and my pleasure? I read the postings of a number of people whose lives are filled with frustrations. They say, “Life’s too short to not be happy. Avoid anyone who doesn’t contribute to your happiness.” I hope we all find happiness and better yet, lasting joy. It’s the outcome, not the goal, of God’s call on our lives.

 

I don’t know if you or I will be asked to die for someone else. But we have been commanded to live for them.

 

‘Have you come here to die?’

 

Being the messenger – Living the message

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I liked the inscription above the doors as you turned to leave the sanctuary where Jim and Priscilla Frier worshipped. It read:

 

“You are now entering the mission field.”

 

They understood that we don’t change the world by going to church, but by being the church once you leave the building. Actions do speak louder than words. That was Paul’s message to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 6). Don’t accept God’s gift of grace in vain; don’t receive it only to toss it aside as if it had no value. Instead, today is the day to put God’s grace to work.

 

That’s a helpful message for us today. Wherever we go and under every kind of circumstance we face, we are God’s ambassador. Like it or not, the way we respond to life sends a clear message to those who don’t follow God’s ways (yet). The question is, what kind of an ambassador am I? What message do I communicate? Is it a stepping stone that helps others see the grace of God or a stumbling block that trips them up? Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t make you a super human able to escape the trials of life. But the Spirit of Jesus in us does make it possible to:

Endure instead of give up in times of trouble and hardship.

Remain pure in an Ashley Madison corrupt world.

Be patient in times of stress and sincere in love – even tough love.

Remain truthful when it’s easier to lie and humble in our achievements and victories.

Become peacemakers and uniters instead of dividers.

Invest my life, not waste it.

Remain content whether we have lots or little.

Stay true to the call to be in the world but not of the world; transformed by God, not conformed to worldly ambitions.

 

We live together in this temporary life, believers and unbelievers. We’re warned to not make binding commitments with nonbelievers if it would compromise our faith or integrity. But we’re invited, actually literally commanded, to go out into the world and be salt and light, positive influences that implore others to turn to God, not out of judgment but out of the love and mercy we ourselves have freely received. First on the list though is making sure that we are living the lives of truth and grace before asking others to follow our steps.

 

Lord, reveal to me today anything that may be a stumbling block, not only to others, but in my own relationship with you:
– my heart’s desires and ambitions
– the way handle interruptions
– what I consider to be important
– how I listen – and respond – to others
– the words I speak and my actions too…

Draw me close to you. Help me aim higher.

 

 

This earthly tent

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Do you like tent camping? It used to be a passion of ours to camp in some primitive or semi-primitive area, away from life’s busyness and surrounded by the full extent of God’s creation. But sometimes, it wasn’t all we had hoped for, like the time near Cradle Mountain in Tasmania, when we discovered a two man mountain tent wasn’t really built for two people, especially when Marcia was pregnant with our first child! Or the night at Jindabyne, Australia where we found ourselves surprised by an unpredicted snowfall (Yes, it was the Snowy Mountain range) and we groaned all night as our teeth chattered. Or at the Craggs, Colorado, near Pike’s peak when we discovered our tent wasn’t nearly as waterproof as we thought. Or the night in South Dakota when the tornado siren went off and we were wondering if the tent pegs would hold firm in the storm. Yes, sometimes tenting was fun, but sometimes we groaned a lot and longed for our permanent home!

 

Actually, that is precisely how Paul describes our present life, as an “earthly tent” that groans and longs for our “heavenly dwelling”, our permanent “building from God.” It was actually God’s design that we live here for a “short” while.  Just as we never dreamed of making our tenting site our permanent home, God doesn’t intend for us to become too attached to “home” in this world. Why? Because it isn’t our real home! (2 Corinthians 5)

 

But what we do with our bodies and our lives does matter to God. In fact, Paul writes there will come a time when all believers will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. It will be a time of giving account of how we lived our lives (2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10-12). Rather than being a time of judging salvation, maybe it’s best to think of it as a time of rewards for a life lived well. It will be a measuring of our faith in serving Christ, in being his ambassador, in carrying out his Great Commission, in disciplining ourselves to achieve victory our sin’s temptations, and how well we controlled our tongues when we interacted with others. Everything that we wasted in life will be consumed and destroyed, but everything that was done intentionally for God will stand the test and be preserved.

 

If you’ve ever wondered, “What is my purpose in this life?” Paul answers it clearly in this passage in 2 Corinthians 5. We are called to pitch our earthly tent on the mountain of God so we can be reconciled to him, and once reconciled to make it our focus to implore others to do the same. God doesn’t force us into submission to his way and so neither are we to coerce others. But rather we should live intentionally in such a manner to bear witness to his power to make us into “new creations” transformed by his mercy and grace.

 

We’re advised to not become too comfortable in this life. Our earthly tent is not our permanent home. The degree to which we’re overly comfortable here dulls our sense of longing to be fully at home in the Lord. If we sometimes groan in this earthly tent, it is for a reason. We don’t belong here. Our full reward and greatest joy is yet to be experienced in heaven.

 

But while we are here, “we are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

 

Don’t waste your life. Live well, filled with his purpose and passion.