Is it the real thing or did you get it wholesale?
I want you to know brothers that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12 NIV
Someone gave me a book of Psalms. Since every Bible I have contains the book of Psalms I resolved to pass it on to someone else. I gave the book to a friend at work. She briefly studied the cover and then studied me in a quizzical way. After a moment she handed the book back to me and said, "I am not a religious person." To which I responded, "Neither am I."
Some people think we believers were raised to follow religion. They think we were snatched away from rational thinking and reprogrammed to follow religious protocols. But I don't follow a religion. I am not and have never been brainwashed into religious fanaticism. Like Paul and probably like you, I got faith in God from God Himself.
I have seen some that have peddled their home-grown religion at wholesales prices. But there were many others that shared The Real-Thing with enthusiasm, love and intelligence. The first hardened my mind toward God. The second opened my mind to the reality of God. But I still needed my own experience of Him, my own Damascus Road experience, and He did not disappoint. I remember thinking one day that all of this god stuff was nonsense. And on the next day I caught myself believing, praying, seeking and finding God. And when God had a full grasp on me, He sent me to Christ for safe keeping. He placed me into hands that won't let me slip out (John 6:35).
If you truly believe in Christ, you didn't make it up and you didn't buy it wholesale from some other human. If you truly believe, then your faith is the genuine article and it came from the Lord. Real faith cannot be had from the religious discount bin. Real faith in God is not cheap, for the real thing came on the shoulders of Christ.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
The Call
The Call
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
I think that most believers want to know God’s will for their life. We believers are overcome with gratitude for all that God has done. And we want to respond to that, we want to be pleasing to God. But there is a small hiccup, God speaks via His Word, and His Spirit. And we tend to listen by our ears and sometimes by our hearts. So maybe the real task at hand is to find the medium by which we can pick up on the Holy Spirit. And I wholeheartedly believe the medium by which the Spirit communicates most regularly is the word of God. The scripture is where we find what is acceptable and perfect.
One obstacle I have in hearing God is the expectation I have of Him. I try to anticipate His words, sort of getting a jumpstart on His will, and it never seems to work that way. My thinking of Him is so linear (Aristotelian) it just isn’t wide enough to anticipate what He is going to say or do. I sometimes sort of look at God’s will for me as a series of check boxes;
be kind-CHECK!
don’t curse – Working on it!
no smoking – CHECK!
no drinking – CHECK!
Okay, that’s 3 out of 4 that means I am living God’s will. Well probably not…. And that isn’t the way to follow God anyhow.
Maybe God’s will is something that can’t be predicted, planned or controlled. We have to submit to God and renew our minds by the word of God on a daily basis, to hear His will as he governs it. Today, He may ask one thing, and tomorrow something different. And if my mind has not been transformed by Him, I will miss out on living His will, His way for His purpose.
Maybe knowing and living God’s will has never been about following rules and keeping a busy calendar of religious events. Maybe, knowing and living God’s will has always been about communion with Him so often, that you are always at His disposal when He calls.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
I think that most believers want to know God’s will for their life. We believers are overcome with gratitude for all that God has done. And we want to respond to that, we want to be pleasing to God. But there is a small hiccup, God speaks via His Word, and His Spirit. And we tend to listen by our ears and sometimes by our hearts. So maybe the real task at hand is to find the medium by which we can pick up on the Holy Spirit. And I wholeheartedly believe the medium by which the Spirit communicates most regularly is the word of God. The scripture is where we find what is acceptable and perfect.
One obstacle I have in hearing God is the expectation I have of Him. I try to anticipate His words, sort of getting a jumpstart on His will, and it never seems to work that way. My thinking of Him is so linear (Aristotelian) it just isn’t wide enough to anticipate what He is going to say or do. I sometimes sort of look at God’s will for me as a series of check boxes;
be kind-CHECK!
don’t curse – Working on it!
no smoking – CHECK!
no drinking – CHECK!
Okay, that’s 3 out of 4 that means I am living God’s will. Well probably not…. And that isn’t the way to follow God anyhow.
Maybe God’s will is something that can’t be predicted, planned or controlled. We have to submit to God and renew our minds by the word of God on a daily basis, to hear His will as he governs it. Today, He may ask one thing, and tomorrow something different. And if my mind has not been transformed by Him, I will miss out on living His will, His way for His purpose.
Maybe knowing and living God’s will has never been about following rules and keeping a busy calendar of religious events. Maybe, knowing and living God’s will has always been about communion with Him so often, that you are always at His disposal when He calls.
Friday, June 15, 2012
All or Nothing
All or Nothing
Bring the whole offering into the storehouse Malachi 3:10
Over the years I have been bitter about giving to God. I have used lots of excuses to justify my worries and concerns. But the crux of the matter, at the root of those worries is a lack of trust. And what is more amazing is that in the face of a cloud of witnesses that testify to God’s love, charity, planning and power, I still sometimes continue to hold back.
I know this verse speaks of giving funds and that we can test God in this. But I wonder if we rob God in other ways than monetarily? Could it be that we are robbing God of the most valuable commodity in the universe, something worth dying for, and we don’t even know it? I think the truth is that we rob God of us!
When God speaks to us and we allow fear to drown out His voice, we may be stealing from God. When we ignore the whole truth of scripture, we may be acting as thieves. The fact is that God loved us so much that He died to buy us from our sin condition. His act on the cross purchased us away from the grip of the devil. And to ignore God’s act of love is just plain foolish. And what is the just punishment for ignoring God’s gift…? Spiritual death.
You are the offering that the Father desires. Bring the whole offering into the storehouse. Are you willing to offer it all or are you stealing from God?
Bring the whole offering into the storehouse Malachi 3:10
Over the years I have been bitter about giving to God. I have used lots of excuses to justify my worries and concerns. But the crux of the matter, at the root of those worries is a lack of trust. And what is more amazing is that in the face of a cloud of witnesses that testify to God’s love, charity, planning and power, I still sometimes continue to hold back.
I know this verse speaks of giving funds and that we can test God in this. But I wonder if we rob God in other ways than monetarily? Could it be that we are robbing God of the most valuable commodity in the universe, something worth dying for, and we don’t even know it? I think the truth is that we rob God of us!
When God speaks to us and we allow fear to drown out His voice, we may be stealing from God. When we ignore the whole truth of scripture, we may be acting as thieves. The fact is that God loved us so much that He died to buy us from our sin condition. His act on the cross purchased us away from the grip of the devil. And to ignore God’s act of love is just plain foolish. And what is the just punishment for ignoring God’s gift…? Spiritual death.
You are the offering that the Father desires. Bring the whole offering into the storehouse. Are you willing to offer it all or are you stealing from God?
Friday, June 8, 2012
Construction Site
Construction Site
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2a NLT
I was talking to my brother Jerome. We were talking about the transformation of the believer. One comment he made was that “We are all under construction.” Indeed I even thought at one time of having a t-shirt made that announced the same slogan. But it took some time and hard knocks to come to the reality that God was not finished with me yet.
At times I have gotten off kilter. I have considered my position with God and thought to myself, “I have arrived.” And in short time I’d loose my temper or experience physical pain or find myself in humbling circumstances. Then with severe clarity God would use these events to show me that I have so far to go. I could hear Him in my head saying that, “There is no time for laurel resting with me. All you’ve done is reap, the hard work has been done by others (John 4:38). Son, its time for you to begin the work I have set aside for you.” And God being the Master Architect that He is, He begins hauling away that which is not on His blueprint and building a new foundation with His Spirit.
While God continues His work, I sometimes wonder how much more I can take. I wonder if He keeps going, I won’t even be me any longer. And that may be His point and purpose. He intends to make me into something so grand, that I’ll simply need to wait and see the finished creation. God is changing you into something so amazing we can only wait in anticipation to see the end outcome.
We are both in the hands of the Master Builder and He is in process of building us into something great. The next time I see a believer struggling, I should remember that God is working on them. He is changing them into something that will bring Him glory. I need to remember that those who belong to Him are under construction.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2a NLT
I was talking to my brother Jerome. We were talking about the transformation of the believer. One comment he made was that “We are all under construction.” Indeed I even thought at one time of having a t-shirt made that announced the same slogan. But it took some time and hard knocks to come to the reality that God was not finished with me yet.
At times I have gotten off kilter. I have considered my position with God and thought to myself, “I have arrived.” And in short time I’d loose my temper or experience physical pain or find myself in humbling circumstances. Then with severe clarity God would use these events to show me that I have so far to go. I could hear Him in my head saying that, “There is no time for laurel resting with me. All you’ve done is reap, the hard work has been done by others (John 4:38). Son, its time for you to begin the work I have set aside for you.” And God being the Master Architect that He is, He begins hauling away that which is not on His blueprint and building a new foundation with His Spirit.
While God continues His work, I sometimes wonder how much more I can take. I wonder if He keeps going, I won’t even be me any longer. And that may be His point and purpose. He intends to make me into something so grand, that I’ll simply need to wait and see the finished creation. God is changing you into something so amazing we can only wait in anticipation to see the end outcome.
We are both in the hands of the Master Builder and He is in process of building us into something great. The next time I see a believer struggling, I should remember that God is working on them. He is changing them into something that will bring Him glory. I need to remember that those who belong to Him are under construction.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Finding the Father’s Way
Finding the Father’s Way
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3 NIV
God builds up His ways into the minds of mankind by various means. God gave us Christ so we might have the right to call Him Father. He bestows righteousness on us from the cross, so that we might have good standing with the Father. God even imparts the Holy Spirit so that we may have direction and understanding. And not to be forgotten, God wrote it down on paper and upon the hearts of His children.
Man however, we seek to do well but sometimes unravel the work of Christ in men’s hearts. When we try to “help God along” we heap up rules and protocols on an already struggling fellow believer. We might say some thing like, “If you do this, I know God will keep His end of the bargain”. And God may have never offered such barter. Or we may say to someone, “If you follow these rules, you will be saved” and God may not have asked for anything other than to follow Christ. In our zeal, shouldn’t we let God speak for Himself? If we humble ourselves He may choose to speak through us indeed.
But if we seek the Lord, seek the righteousness that is only found in Christ and humble our minds, perhaps we too will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s return. Perhaps we will find that we have found the Fathers way.
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3 NIV
God builds up His ways into the minds of mankind by various means. God gave us Christ so we might have the right to call Him Father. He bestows righteousness on us from the cross, so that we might have good standing with the Father. God even imparts the Holy Spirit so that we may have direction and understanding. And not to be forgotten, God wrote it down on paper and upon the hearts of His children.
Man however, we seek to do well but sometimes unravel the work of Christ in men’s hearts. When we try to “help God along” we heap up rules and protocols on an already struggling fellow believer. We might say some thing like, “If you do this, I know God will keep His end of the bargain”. And God may have never offered such barter. Or we may say to someone, “If you follow these rules, you will be saved” and God may not have asked for anything other than to follow Christ. In our zeal, shouldn’t we let God speak for Himself? If we humble ourselves He may choose to speak through us indeed.
But if we seek the Lord, seek the righteousness that is only found in Christ and humble our minds, perhaps we too will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s return. Perhaps we will find that we have found the Fathers way.
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