The God of Reconciliation

This morning as I was reading the Word, I stumbled upon a jewel of revelation. I've been reading through the Bible according to a plan. This morning I read 2nd Samuel 14-17. This is a part of the story of David and his son Absalom.

The Big Picture:

David has two sons: Amnon and Absalom. Both were by different mothers. Absalom had a sister named Tamar. This would make Tamar a half sister of Amnon. Now Amnon becomes crazy with lust about his sister Tamar and rapes her. Absalom is furious and avenges his sister, killing Amnon. Absalom then flees for his life, because David, the king, wants to kill him. (2 Sam. 13)

The Small Picture:

Joab, the commander of David's army, tries to restore peace between David and his son Absalom. So Joab sends a messenger in disguise to king David and tells her what to say:

"The woman said, "Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son? Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him" (2nd Sam. 14:13-14).

Verse 14 immediately jumped out at me! I love what it reveals about God. I know that He is my source of life because, He created me. And I know that I was dead because of sin entering the picture.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23)

These verse tell me that God is not a God who desires to leave us dead. He desires to give us life again. He desires to bring us back to life! He desires to reconcile our relationship with Him. "He devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him." This is what God did through Jesus. Jesus was the way that we could be restored in relationship to God, just as Absalom was restored in relationship to David.

God is on our side :). He wants to help us everyday to "come back to life". He is always helping us to grow and be restored to what we were before the fall. He is our source of life and growth on whom we must lean daily. In doing so we will be transformed into the image of His Son and we can experience the most intimate and wonder-full relationship of all time. This is our God. May we still strive to know Him better.

Living in God’s Gift of Peace

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

Imagine what the disciples would have been feeling, knowing that Jesus would soon leave them. They were about to experience, probably, the three most difficult days of their lives. Jesus, aware of what is going to happen in the near future, comforts the disciples, telling them of the place He is going to prepare for them (14:2), which is indicative of His return, and promises them the Holy Spirit. Lastly, He gives them His peace. Through the work of the Holy Spirit (26), Jesus gives the disciples a true and real peace. He says, “…my peace I give you” (27).

Now the peace of Jesus isn’t any ordinary peace. It is not like the peace that the world offers. For Jesus says, “I do not give to you as the world gives” (27). The world offers peace in the form of security. The world tries to sell peace of mind and heart to us. Insurance, great wealth, material possessions that will make you content, and the latest gadget that will secure your worldly fortune are just some of the many things that world offers to give us peace. The true peace of heart and mind, however, comes only from God. He is the source. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Apart from Him, you will never experience the inner rest and tranquility and serenity of genuine peace.

What an awesome gift for the disciples to receive that day! That same peace that Jesus gave to the disciples, He gives to us today. He wants us to have peace, and He has given it to us. We have the same Holy Spirit that the disciples received, and God’s Word is quite clear, expressing God’s desire for all of His children to have God’s peace in their lives. In most of Paul’s letters he is wishing the church peace. For example, Paul writes, “[m]ay the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope with the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Not only does Paul want believers to have God’s peace, God wants us to have His peace.

I think the reason why believers don’t have God’s peace today is because they don’t accept it. As believers we can’t have God’s peace when we are living in sin and disobedience. How can we be assured of God’s faithfulness when we are ignorant to the countless examples in His Word? Sometimes we even trade the peace of God for the pressure of the problem itself. I can recall many times where I’ve focused intently on a problem in my life, and rejected the peace that God had freely given me had I focused intently on Him instead.

How do we accept God’s gift of peace into our lives in any circumstance? Good question. The following is not merely a quick-fix formula to having God’s peace in our lives. It is a series of steps that can be taken to accept God’s peace that have been proven to work time and time again in my life and in many other people’s lives. Learn to apply these principles and truths of Scripture and you will have God’s peace in your life. I guarantee it as sure as God’s Word is the true and inspired Word of God.

1. A prerequisite to experiencing God’s peace in your life is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Apart from this relationship, you cannot experience the peace of God that transcends all understanding.

2. In the time of trouble, immediately, turn your focus to God and say “Father…” As soon as you begin to focus intently on your problem rather than God, you have made your problem bigger than God in your mind. This is idolatry. Train yourself to immediately turn your eyes upon Jesus in the time of trouble. He is the source of peace. No amount of time spent working through the problem in your mind and considering the countless possibilities will afford you the peace of God. Focus on God and not the problem. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast…” (Isaiah 26:3).

3. Trust Him; Exercise your faith in Him. Faith/Trust is a choice not a feeling. To experience God’s peace throughout each day you must trust in Him and walk through each day in faith.

4. Turn to the Word of God. God’s Word is full of His promises and examples of His faithfulness. David has said, “Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble” (Psalm 119:165). Cling to God’s words. They are comfort, assurance, and peace of mind and heart.

5. Submit to God; come to obedience of Him. The wisdom of the proverbs says: “My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you” (Proverbs 3:1-2 NASB). Obedience and submission to God will bring God’s peace into your life.

6. Prayer and Thanksgiving. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Of course all of the steps above are woven through prayer, but let us not forget Paul’s exhortation to thank God in times where we would be anxious. Begin to thank Him and praise Him for the peace that He is giving you and will give you right away. Thank God for the circumstances that He has put you in through which you can lean on God and experience His peace and His power in your life.


Comments: I would greatly appreciate your comments. Many times your comments help other readers in ways that you least expect. For this post: Comment on your own experience of God’s peace or lack thereof in your life. Also, can you identify with the step to accepting God’s peace? Do recognize times in your life where you had to do some or all of them, and God’s peace flooded into your heart and mind?

Setting Spiritual Goals

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:10-14).

Over this past week the idea of setting goals has come up again and again. In Friday’s prayer chapel we were even given opportunities to prayerfully write our goals for this semester down. With the New Year it seems reasonable to set some goals for the future. Where do I want to be in my journey at the end of 2007? Who do I want to be at the end of 2007? Finally, what steps am I willing to take to be there at the end of 2007?

The passage above is a very clear example of setting a goal, and more specifically, a godly goal. I imagine that God the Father was deeply pleased as Paul penned the words, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings.” I believe God smiled as the apostle wrote, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Truly, Paul’s goals are an awesome example for us as followers of Christ.

Paul states very clearly, “I want to know Christ…” That’s the simple essence of his goal. The rest of that verse explains how Paul desires to know Jesus and even what he’s willing to go through to achieve his goal. A godly goal is in accordance with God’s will. Jesus prayed, saying, “…[Y]ou granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:2-3). God wants people to know Him and receive eternal life through a relationship with Him. So, Paul’s goal to know Christ is easily verified as being in accordance with God’s will.

In another letter Paul writes, “…whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). According to this standard, a godly goal should have God’s glory in mind. Our motivation for setting any particular goal is important in discerning whether a goal is godly or not. Before you set a goal, ask yourself if your goal is for the glory of God.

Another important aspect of goal setting is challenging yourself. Some people want to take an easy way and set easy goals for themselves. However, setting goals that aren’t easy to attain will help to strengthen our faith in Jesus. Charles Stanley includes the following quote in his Intouch devotional:

“…reaching for a goal enlarges faith. Stretch a rubber band wide, and when it is allowed to relax, it will be slightly larger. Faith works the same way. When we decide to do something that requires more resources than we have, we must depend on God to do the work through us. And if we are relying on Him for the wisdom to set right goals, then we can trust Him to enable us to achieve them.”

I firmly believe that if we sit down and quiet ourselves before the Lord, enter into His presence and fellowship with Him, and prayerfully set goals for ourselves, that God will inspire us, challenge us, and convict us with goals that will please Him.

Consider Paul’s words to the Corinthian church:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

It would be foolish to not set godly goals for ourselves. We need to keep our eye on the prize. Perish the thought that we would run aimlessly or fight blindly. Movement is a waste of time and energy if it’s not in the right direction. Goals are essential to victorious living just as goals are essential to winning a hockey game.

These are some of the insights God has given me about setting spiritual goals. The discipline of setting godly goals is not just a New Year exercise that we should do. It’s a discipline that we should incorporate into our daily lives, setting goals and achieving them, pressing on toward the prize constantly. I’d like to challenge you (the reader) to take some time with God and set some solid spiritual goals for yourself.

Comments: For this post it would be great if you would share one of your goals with us. Consider describing how or why you feel God has lead you to set your goal and some of the steps that you will take to achieve your goal.

Words of Life

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

With a new year, God has given me a new perspective. God has an amazing track record when it comes to keeping His word. In fact, you will not find one instance in the Bible where God said that He would do something in someone’s life where He did not do it. God is absolutely faithful to keep His word. When He says “I will…”, He will. When He says “I will not…”, He will not. Knowing this about God, I wonder why so many people doubt God’s promise of abundant life.

Jesus said that He came to give us life to the full, yet many people don’t seem to believe Him. Hmm…even I have said those famous words: “I just can’t wait to get to heaven”. Is life on earth simply a perpetual wish to escape? When impossible circumstances come our way, do we trade the joy we were meant to have for a desperate longing for peace and joy? Hopefully God will work this out and hopefully He’ll do it soon. Until then…I’ll just have to be content with less. Eventually God will work it out and then…

…and then what??? Then I’ll be happy? Then my joy will be complete? Then I will have peace? Then I will pursue God with all my heart?

No. Jesus came to give us life to the full now. The devil wants us to believe that abundant life is constantly beyond our next struggle or problem. He wants to steal the joy that is ours in Jesus Christ. Satan can’t take away the gifts God has given us. Only God can. If God has promised us joy in our salvation and full abundant life, then why do we settle for less???

It’s my personal conviction that we do not have the full life that Jesus came to give us, because we don’t know how to take hold of it. How do we accept the full and abundant life that Jesus came to give us?

Jesus said, “I know that [the Father’s] command leads to eternal life” (Jn. 12:50). He understood that obedience to His Father’s words was life. This is the principle that I have arrived at for this new year: If you want to experience life to the full, then you need to obey God’s words. It’s a very simple little principle. Obey and enjoy. Unfortunately, obedience is easier said than done. But I think that all of us can think of several examples from last year where we disobeyed and things didn’t go so well for us.

God doesn’t just want obedience, He wants immediate and unconditional obedience. One of my favorite verses from Deuteronomy says, “The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws…” (Deut 26:16 emphasis mine). Not tomorrow. Not a week from today. Not next month or next year. God wants obedience right now. He also wants you to obey Him out of love for Him. Jesus said, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Mt. 6:1). God doesn’t play our game. He can’t be manipulated. You can do all the good things and righteous acts you want, but if the reason you do them is to get what you want from God or from others, you will not experience life to the full. God wants obedience right now and God wants obedience out of love for who He is and what He has done for you.

Picture yourself sitting with Jesus on a park bench on a warm sunny afternoon. He turns to you and begins to speak:

“Listen, my [child], accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life” (Pr. 4:10-13).

As He speaks to you, your mind begins to wander. You think about your girlfriend or boyfriend, your job, your friends, the movie you just watched last night, what you can do with your friends tomorrow.

“My [child], pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them with within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a [person’s] whole body” (Pr. 4:20-22).

He continues to speak with a sense of urgency in His voice. But your mind is elsewhere. You look around at the green grass and the beautiful trees. You notice a girl rollerblade past on the sidewalk. You see your dream car roll by on the street.

Isn’t scary how familiar that picture is to us? God is speaking into our life and we are so preoccupied with the things going on around us. He’s not even giving us specific commands anymore…He’s just trying to get our attention and get us to listen so He can speak into our lives. And we wonder why we are not experiencing the full and abundant life that He has promised us. If we would just listen! It’s like walking around with your fingers in your ears complaining about how your life is going. Ridiculous isn’t it? This is the word of Lord:

“My [child], pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them with within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a [person’s] whole body” (Pr. 4:20-22).

Types of Christians:

Christian #1: Isn’t willing to obey God at all. (Intentional Rebellion of Heart)

Christian #2: Knows the words of God and chooses to disobey anyway. (Intentional Rebellion of Heart and Mind)

Christian #3: Is willing to obey God but hasn’t a clue what His commands are. (Unintentional Rebellion of Mind)

Christian #4: Knows God’s Word and willingly obeys God (Intentional obedience of Heart and Mind) *Experiences life to the full*

Which of the above describes you best? Do you know God’s words and commands? Do you obey them? If you can answer yes to both of these questions, you have life to the full. Why? Because the Bible says that God’s words are life. We experience eternal life in relationship with Jesus as we get to know Him through His Word. We experience abundant and full life with joy, peace, and love when we obey His Word. In fact, these are two of the biggest reasons why God gave us the Bible: To reveal Himself to us and to instruct us for life. I want you to prayerfully read this one more time:

“My [child], pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them with within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a [person’s] whole body” (Pr. 4:20-22).

If we truly believe these words of God, we would be memorizing God’s word each day: Hiding it in our hearts. Replaying it in our minds. Like a the words of a special friend, we would cherish and hold on to His words if we really believed what God says about them. As we would recall the heart-whisper of a husband or wife in our ear, so we would recall the words of our God throughout our days if we only understood the life that they bring.

In light of what I’ve said about the importance of knowing God’s words, for they are life, and obeying God’s Word, for it is full life, what will you do this year, starting right now? Please comment on what you will do out of love and obedience for God in light of His Word. Together, how can we please our God?

“Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.

Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.

I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.

I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.

I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.

I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path” (Ps. 119:97-104).

As Christmas draws near…

I really appreciated Pastor Bill’s sermon this morning. “The Fear and The Blood”. At first glance it seems so unrelated to Christmas. I was really encouraged with another answer to my Christmas question: What is the true meaning of Christmas? We ask this question all the time, and often we come to some sort of cliché answer. I was really challenged by the message this morning: Christmas is nice when we look at it from the perspective of Joseph and Mary, the wise men and the shepherds. But the true meaning of Christmas is only understood when we look at it from God’s perspective. Pastor Bill was right: we need to lock ourselves into God’s view of Christmas.

What are we celebrating?

I asked one of my friends at Bible College what her favorite Christmas movie was. It got me thinking. If I could watch one movie with family and friends at Christmas time which one would I choose and how would it help us to remember the true meaning of Christmas? My mind first raced to the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I love that movie! I thought of the many different movies out there…and then I became intrigued. What about the “Passion of the Christ”? Oops, wrong holiday, I thought, at first. And then I thought again…

Why does “The Passion” seem a sensible choice for Christmas celebration? Is that even celebrating anymore? Does it fit the true meaning of Christmas? To my surprise, I’ve been on a little journey to realize that there could hardly be a more fitting story to watch on video this Christmas.

So often we get the mindset that we are going to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but we stop there…We should also be celebrating the reason He came not just the fact that He did! Christmas is a time to celebrate God’s purpose for sending His Son. To celebrate in this way is to see Christmas through God’s eyes.

Why did God send His Son?

To understand the true meaning of Christmas, we need to see Jesus’ purpose for coming. Ultimately, Jesus came to go to the cross. He came to die. The angel spoke to Joseph saying, “[Mary] will give birth to a son and you are to give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21 emphasis mine). He came to save us from our sins, an act that was completed at the cross. In fact, the gospels are full of references to Jesus’ purpose: to go to the cross that we might be freed from the slavery of sin and the hold of death unto eternal life with Him. In reference to His death, Jesus said, “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came…” (Jn. 12:27). Jesus makes it pretty clear that the whole reason that He came was to go to the cross.

My mind wanders further. What is the heart of God behind sending His Son? We all know that Jesus’ death has saved us from our sins and given us eternal life. But do we know why Jesus wanted to give that to us?

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends…” (Jn. 15:13-14). In other words, Jesus is saying, “I died on the cross because I love you.” “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son…” (Jn. 3:16). Jesus came to earth, a little baby boy, to die on the cross for my sins, because he loves me! And what’s more, He came to have a relationship with me! In Jesus’ high priestly prayer he prays, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am…” (Jn.17:24). This is why Jesus died on the cross! He wants you. He wants to bless you and give His depthless gifts of love, mercy, grace, peace, joy, and hope to you in a personal, intimate, dynamic, vibrant, and wonder-full relationship with Him! Jesus came simply to love, serve and give to us.

What does this mean for Christmas 2006?

As I said near the beginning, we need to seek God’s perspective of Christmas to understand the true meaning of the celebration. This year as we celebrate, we should be celebrating the full Gospel message and good news. Christmas is more than just a commemoration of the birth of someone we love. It should also be a time to respond to God’s heart for us. Ponder the cradle and the cross. Seek to discover the way that Jesus feels about you in light of the Christmas story and the crucifixion. How can we respond to His heart this Christmas? How can we worship Him and celebrate Him for what He has done for us? How can we understand Jesus better through our Christmas celebration?

As you (the reader) reflect on some of these questions, post some of your answers in a comment. What will you do, in light of Jesus’ heart for you, this Christmas?

Journal Entry: December 5th, 2006

Today in discipleship I was really challenged about my attitude towards Christmas. I had wanted it to be special, especially for me. God spoke to me very clearly through His Word.

"Love is...not self-seeking..." (1 Cor. 13:5).

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:3-5).

Two thousand years ago on Christmas day, Jesus did not have a warm and fuzzy, wonderful and special celebration. Jesus was born in a stinky dark cave and lay in a feeding tough. God was restricted and confined to the body of a baby, helpless, weak, and quite limited. But Jesus did not come to have a "good" Christmas. He came to serve us and show the full extent of His love to us.

What should my attitude be this Christmas?

Selfless love and service of others. I want to identify with Jesus on Christmas day. I want to make others' celebrations special this year with a gift of love.

Father in heaven, use me to pour out your love on people this Christmas. Show me what Christmas was like for you.

The Mountain Path

So long ago,
The day I first began to climb.

Why?

It seemed like the right path to choose.
Now...I am certain.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt,
That this road was made for me,
And I for Thee.

But what of the beginning?
From where have I come?
How could I ever forget,
What the LORD has done?

I remember the agony of those days,
The whip across my back,
Enslaved, in chains
To the Pharaoh of this land.

You rescued me God by your strong and mighty hand,
You revealed your infinite power,
Bringing me up,
Out of his land.

And when I thought I was free,
Truly you did guide me:
To none other than a dead end,
With all this Bible knowledge in my head.

A wall of mountain on the left and on the right,
A sea of despair before me,
And my enemy near in hindsight.

My God, why have you led me here,
With only a hope of dying or drowning in my fear...
Surely, I was better off enslaved in Egypt...
In chains to my sin,
Than to die a freed man in the desert.
Buried in sand.

Y o u B r e a t h e G r a c e t o M e

I cry out to You, God,
Deliver my soul!
I lift my eyes to heaven
In sweet complete surrender!

With the rush of a gale force wind,
the waters are divided.

Despair Anxiety Oppression Addiction Bondage

Darkness Blindness Confusion Pain Suffering

"The Lord is my strength and my
song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise
Him,
My father's God, and I will exalt
Him" (Ex. 15:2).

Y o u B r e a t h e P u r p o s e t o M e

Suddenly,
Surrounded,
Thousands of people...like me...but different.
The old
Young
Big
Small...

Like a bullet to the brain
Your words sink deep,
Penetrating my soul.
A shepherd's staff begins to form in
My
Hand.

Lead these people?
Lead them where?
For what purpose?

And the Lord speaks:

Show them my ways,
My glory...
This path.
Though the people complain,
and disobey.
Though they quarrel and
Indulge in their selfish ways
When they fight against me,
And cry out for Egypt,
Remember,
You were the same.

I'm still climbing...
Over rocks,
Under tree branches...
I still slip and fall.
I might spend days pressed up against the rock,
Shimmying along a narrow shelf,
With wind blasting in my face�

But nothing will stop me from reaching the summit.
I will always press on
Through hardship and struggle,
Dead ends and impossible conundrums,
I must reach the top...

Where I will meet my God and my Savior,
And speak with Him face to face,
As man with his friend.
Where I will share in unfathomable depths of intimacy,
As a beautiful bride.

The journey to get there is my
Mountain path.

The Key to Relating

Most, if not all, of us have met someone that we struggle to relate with. Whether it’s the druggies at school or the shy guy wandering around on Sunday morning, most of us have encountered someone who seems difficult to talk to. Today I’d like to focus specifically on the key to relating to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Jesus’ final week, He spent His time with the disciples, preparing them for the things to come. Jesus comforted them, telling them about the heavenly place He was going to prepare and the Counselor that would come to them after His departure: “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:34-35). This new command is the key to relating to our brothers and sisters in Christ. The key to relating to all of our Christian brothers and sisters is simply to love them.

Until these last few months here at school, I had no clue how to do this. I knew that God wanted me to love my brothers and sisters in Christ, but I wasn’t sure exactly how to do that. Was it simply being kind to them or was it something more? Was it merely an attitude or was it an action? These were some of the questions I had. Through a combination of different things, God opened my eyes to several truths when it comes to relating with His body.

Truth #1: We can and should relate to everyone in the local Body of Christ. The apostle James wrote, “My brothers [and sisters], as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?...if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers” (Js. 2:1-4; 9). It is pretty clear from this exhortation that we are not to play favorites. Perhaps the sickest result of the sin of favoritism is cliques. People get together with their favorite people every Sunday morning, at youth and in college and career. Little groups form within the larger body that take away from the unity that should be had and make outsiders feel unwelcome. As a result, people aren’t even acquainted with many people in the church. As a member of the Body of Christ we should value every other member equally. We should be going out of our way to relate to the whole local church body. To ignore the shy person, avoid the opposite sex, or shun the annoying person is no less than sin. We should have no qualms about relating to everyone in the Body of Christ. This is how we truly live in the Body.

Truth #2: Loving the Body of Christ means overcoming our fears. 1 John 4:18, says “there is no fear in love…” This is where those people whom we struggle to relate with come in. Often we avoid them out of fear of not knowing how to relate to them or not having met them. Sometimes we ignore the strangers in our local church out of fear. At some point all of us will have to conquer our fears when it comes to relating to people to obey Christ’s command of loving one another. Find your security in Christ, take a deep breath, and sit beside someone you don’t know on a Sunday morning with the intention of meeting them and getting to know them. If everyone did this, imagine the unity we would have as the Bride of Christ. Maybe try talking to at least one person you don’t know very well each Sunday. If we truly want to love people, than we need to be ready to overcome our fears of people.

Truth #3: To relate well to others through love, you must be connected to the Source. In 1 John 4:7, we are told to “love one another, for love comes from God.” The key here is that love comes from God. If we are not connected to God and living every day in a vibrant and dynamic relationship with Jesus, we cannot love other people. Love comes from God. If we are not abiding in Jesus, His love will not flow through us into other people. Likewise, we won’t be able to relate to people as easily. If you want to be able to relate to God’s people you need to rely on Him as the source of that love.

These are some of the scriptures that God has impressed upon my heart to share with you. The key to relating to other people is to love them. Love is the only language that everyone understands. From my own experience with the body of believers here at PRBI, love from God is the only thing that allows me to relate to both guys and girls, teachers and staff, sports jocks and chess nuts, fashion fanatics and heavy metal musicians. But I still, haven’t answered the important question of how to relate to our brothers and sisters in Christ by loving them.
I believe that it was the practical application of love that I misunderstood for the longest time in relating to people well. One of the easiest ways to relate to people is simply by caring about them as an individual. Naturally, the love that comes from God puts care into our hearts for one another. When you come into contact with any brother or sister in Christ, ask them questions out of a genuine care for who they are and what goes on in their lives. Greet them and ask them how they are doing. If you don’t already know their name, then ask them. Once you are acquainted with a person, the passage of time creates wonderful opportunities. Pay attention to who you see when you go places. Ask them how their day or week was. Ask them about the things that interest them or the people that are close to them. There is no set pattern or formula when it comes to relating to people, but if you ask people questions about their life, who they are, or what interests them out of a genuine love for that person as a brother in sister in Christ, relating to them should get easier and easier.

Another way to relate to people is through sharing your own life or experience with them. If someone asks you how you are doing, then be open and honest with them. Most of the time if, you open up to people a little, they will open up to you. Maybe a story you share will remind the person of something in their own life or experience that they will in turn share with you. Next thing you know, you’re relating well with a brother or sister in Christ. If a story you tell is funny then you are relating through humor.

Probably some of the smallest details that have the biggest expressions are the smile and the greeting. When you walk by someone say hi, good morning, or hey. When they look to see who is addressing them, than give them a warm smile. Smile and greet Christians you don’t know out of love and knowledge that they are your brother or sister in Christ. Greet and smile at Christians you do know using their name. It’s amazing when you realize how effectively this shines God’s love into a believer’s life. If you are connected to God and His love, then you will have it to give to others.

Finally, keep a watchful eye for the needs of others. If you see a need that you can meet, then do it. Show love through an encouragement note. Sit down and pray with the person. If you don’t feel equipped to meet their needs but know someone who is then point them to that person. God’s love can also be given through a birthday or get-well card. Ministering to people in the body of Christ is showing God’s love, building into each member and is also relating with them.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to relating to people. Feel free to comment on how this applies to you as an individual, share your experiences, or simply relate

Journey to Joy

Another key lesson that God has been teaching me involves joy. In coming to PRBI, I struggled a lot with having the joy that I felt I should have as a Christian. Over the past few months God has been shaping me and directing my heart to more easily find the joy that I long for.
In my Christian Life Development, the teacher said, “Joy is a blessing and gift from God. To pursue joy is foolish because it is a ‘by-product’ of a God focused life.” How true. I can recount a few phases of my life where I sought after joy yet never attained it. Now that I think about it, the joyful moments of my life have never occurred because I was seeking them. In fact, more often than not I was dissatisfied when I sought after joy. Why? Because, joy is merely a by-product. Galatians 5:22 says, “the fruit of the Spirit is…joy.” When we live by the Spirit, in step with God, abiding in Christ, only then does God give us joy as a gift by His Spirit. Why would we pursue joy sooner than God? It’s simple: we are selfish people. If all we care about is how we feel, whether we have joy or feel comfortable, we are focused on ourselves. Our focus is supposed to be on God. For, Jesus is the author and perfect of our faith (Heb. 12:2).
I remember one day this semester when I felt a little discouraged. Life wasn’t playing out the way I knew it should. My discipler came into my room and saw me deep in thought, lying on my bed. “What’s up?” he said.

“Not much,” I mumbled.

“Why do you look so down?” he said.

“Hmm…well…Life just isn’t going the way I wish it would today,” I said.

“How come?” he asked. So, I told him why I was feeling discouraged. I didn’t want to be closed since I had asked him to be my discipler and mentor, however, I didn’t think he would understand the way I felt. I figured that I would listen to his advice regarding my situation and then I would just carry on, and all of this would eventually go away. I was a little surprised with what he said next: “Why is this affecting your joy?” he asked.

“Well, I am usually not happy when things go wrong and there is nothing I can do to fix them,” I said. “It’s like when we sin against God and he is not pleased. Our sin doesn’t bring God joy.” I said.

“If this situation in your life is taking away your joy, then you base your joy on the wrong source,” he replied. “If I base my joy on the things that happen around me then I will be crushed when things go wrong.” And I knew he was right considering that he had endured the painful divorce of his parents among countless other things in his life and childhood. If anyone had had a good reason to be discouraged it was him. “Do you want to know the secret to joy?” he asked me. “It all comes down to what your source of joy is. There are certain things that we should be staking our joy on. Because I am saved from my sin, I am joyful. Another source of my joy is my relationship with Jesus. I take joy from knowing God’s character and His many promises to me. I am joyful because of the future I have in heaven. If these are my sources of joy, then I can rejoice in any situation!” he said.
I knew he was exactly right. I was guilty of basing my joy on the temporary things rather than the eternal things. I was quickly reminded of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in which he said, “…we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18). God hammered this idea home for me through several other things here. My care group led chapel one day and the theme of our chapel was eternal perspective. In life of Christ, we were lectured on the Sermon of the Mount, including Jesus’ famous words, “…store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:20-21). This was an affirmation that the things I treasure and pour my heart into should be eternal. Again in Philippians, “…our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who…will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). I was utterly convinced by God’s word that my discipler was right. I needed to focus on Jesus and let Him be my source of joy.
Of course this is easier said than done. I am still learning to keep Jesus in the forefront of my mind as my one true source of joy. As a result of my Gospel of John class, I found two applications that have helped me to remember this. On one wall I have a piece of paper that says, “Redeemed” in big bold letters. Every time I read that I am reminded of Jesus’ wonderful gift of redemption and salvation to me. I think of how He rescued me from the deadly perils of sin and hell. I also think of His love for me in His redemptive sacrifice on the cross. What a phenomenal reason to rejoice! And I will always be able to find joy in this, because it will never change!
Above my mirror on the back of my door, I have a piece of paper that says heaven. It reminds me of the eternal perspective I should keep at all times. It also reminds me of another source of joy that will never change: my future in heaven. These two signs have helped a lot! Compared to before, I have the joy that I should most of the time. The other times I do something stupid like staying up until 3:30 in the morning playing gamecube with friends, miss my time with God and feel too tired to focus on Jesus. But, there have been several times where my friends were all doing something and I was alone, and I kept my joy because it was based on Jesus who was still with me.
This has been my journey to joy over the past few months. What about your journey? Is joy a blessed gift that you find continually in God’s face? Is joy an elusive shadow that you can’t find rest in? What experiences have placed God as the source of your joy in your life? What can you do to remind you of your need to focus on Jesus as the source of your joy?

Day 5: Smart vs. Stupid

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash” (Mt. 7:24-27).

I’d like to describe what I will call “the stupid syndrome”. Sunday morning I wake up and go to church. After some singing the pastor delivers a powerful sermon. I feel convicted and challenged by it sensing that I have grown as a result of hearing a word from God. I come away from church with joy that the Lord has spoken to me over the course of the morning. I then find something to do (usually with people) to enjoy my day off. After playing a game or two, maybe watching a movie, eating a meal with someone, and maybe a phone call, the day is over and I go to bed. The week goes by and it’s Sunday again. I flip open my journal to take notes and notice my notes from last Sunday. I remember how I’d felt challenged and convicted, and I realize that I’ve done nothing with that conviction. This is “the stupid syndrome”.
I’m sure that all of you can identify with this situation. We have opportunities to hear from God all of the time. In our personal devotions (if you do them), in small groups (if you’re in one), in the Sunday morning service, in Sunday school and in many other things that we do in our life, we have the opportunity to hear from God. Person A doesn’t take the opportunities to hear from God and Person B does take the opportunities. Yet both of them are the same person from week to week, with little spiritual growth, and little reason to rejoice.
What’s missing? Take a look at Person C. Person C goes to church on Sunday morning and opens up the bulletin. “Oh”, he says, “the pastor is preaching on the parable of the sower and the seeds.” Though he has heard countless sermons on this passage he listens intently for the voice of God because he knows that God can speak through even the most familiar of passages. The pastor preaches with ordinary words just as every other Sunday, yet the Holy Spirit brings conviction to Person C about how seldom he shares his faith with those who ask about it at work. The service ends and Person C goes out for lunch with some friends. While eating at their favorite restaurant, one of his friends invites him to get together after the meal. Person C politely responds, “Well, I have plans until 3:00, but after 3:00 I’d love to get together.” Person C leaves the restaurant after a lovely meal and goes home. In the quiet of his bedroom, he opens up his journal to the sermon notes and his Bible to the passage that so powerfully spoke to him during the service. Person C spends the next hour communing with God, meditating on the scripture, and talking to God about his conviction to be a better witness in the work place. By the end of his time, Person C writes on the page of his journal, and the page of his day timer, “share testimony with Steven over lunch break.” The next day at work Person C warmly greets Steven before the day’s work begins. “Would you like to go for lunch?” Person C asks.
What’s the difference between Person A & B, and Person C? The difference is smart vs. stupid.
Jesus says, “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Person C is the wise man. After hearing God’s word through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Person C takes time to meditate on the words of God and consult God regarding their significance. Person C is not content merely listening to the word. He wants to do it! Person C spent time with God seeking an application. How could he be so foolish as to ignore or forget about the conviction that the Holy Spirit brought to him during the sermon? As Person C searches for a way to put God’s words into practice, the Lord reveals a real and tangible way for him to do it. The next day Person C goes as far as welcoming an opportunity to obey God, by asking Steven to go for lunch with him.
Jesus also said, “everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Person B sits through the same message as person C and feels the same conviction. However, Person B shrugs off all opportunity to act upon the challenge he receives. He goes home and watches TV for the rest of the day and forgets about everything he heard. Person B missed an opportunity to learn and grow according to God’s will. By God’s grace, he won’t miss the next opportunity.

1. Can you recall a time when you decided that a sermon or Sunday school lesson was already old news – that you’d heard it before, and didn’t bother to really listen for God’s voice? How about a study that you felt you could have taught yourself because of how well you are doing in that particular area? Have you been Person A?
2. Can you recall a time when you felt God spoke to you through a message, devotional, or lesson, yet you ended up forgetting about it soon after? Have you ever felt convicted or challenged to pursue something as a result of a sermon or bible study, and forgotten about it over the course of the week? Have you been Person B?
3. Can you recall a time where God spoke to you, regarding some area in your life, which you took seriously and searched for a way to put it into practice, and finally acted upon what you heard? Has the way you live ever visibly changed as a result of conviction or challenge by the Holy Spirit? Have you ever been person C?

Do you want to grow spiritually and become mature in your faith? Do you want to know Jesus in a more intimate way? Do you want to be used by God to bring glory to His name? Do you want to have a living and dynamic love relationship with God, pleasing Him in each step, through obedience?

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (Js. 1:22).