Faith: Our Response To The Faithful God

As my last semester at school came to a close I breathed a sigh of relief. I had finally made it, all pressure was off and it was time to relax. In a couple days I would be headed home for Regina.

[Two days later]

Oh boys! I sat there in my prof’s office dumbfounded. I was sure that this girl had understood my intentions, just to hang out as friends. After all, we had been friends all year, and to my knowledge I hadn't done anything that would have led her to believe that I was interested in pursuing a relationship with her.

The previous day she and I went for ice cream. I thought it was a fun time. Here I sat across from my prof as he told me about my ice cream run with my friend and the words that I had said to her. Eeeww. That was a gross feeling. From what I figured out, she had gone to the Dean of Women and complained that I had confused her with my intentions and with some of the things I shared with her on our ice cream run.

Aaack! I panicked! My prof encouraged me to pray about it and see if I needed to talk to her. Unfortunately, I skipped the praying part and tried to get in contact with her right away. So she and I fought through the grossest and most awkward conversation I’ve ever had in my life. I had an awful time finding the words to say, and it left the two of us on a really poor note for the end of the school year.

As I read the story of king Hezekiah this last weekend in my devotions I very quickly realized what I had done wrong.

Unlike most of the kings before him, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Let’s take a quick look at the big picture before I show you what jumped out at me.

The Big Picture

Hezekiah is reigning as king of Judah. All of a sudden, the Assyrian army shows up on Jerusalem’s doorstep. The commander of the army starts threatening Hezekiah and the people. He says:

“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ...How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand” (2 Kings 18:32; 35)?

Oh boys…I know what I would do if the largest army in the known world showed up in my home city asking me to surrender. The small city of Jerusalem couldn’t have stood a chance against the Assyrians who had already hauled off all of Israel (the northern kingdom) into exile and conquered several of the surrounding nations. I would have jumped in my chariot and ran for my life to Egypt!

The Small Picture

What does Hezekiah do? He runs to the Lord:

“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God” (19:14-16).

“It is true, O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone fashioned by men’s hands. Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God” (19:17-19).

Wow! What a prayer! And what an answer to that prayer:

“That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men from the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning – there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew” (35-36).

Hezekiah realized that he had no control over the situation. Instead of trying to take control himself he turned to the one who is control of everything: “O Lord…you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth” (19:15). God responded to his prayer by delivering him from the Assyrian army.

Why did Hezekiah run to the Lord? Why didn’t he run away or even worse try to fight the Assyrians? Hezekiah ran to the Lord because he knew God was faithful. He knew that God would deliver him from the situation. He knew that God was in control of everything and would be faithful to provide for him.

Going back to my friend from school, it’s so obvious what I did wrong. After I talked with my prof I should have done what he said and prayed about the situation. I realized that I wasn’t control and what did I do? I tried to take control myself. I tried to fix the problem with her right away. Did it work? No.

Instead I should have done what Hezekiah did. I should have gone to the Lord, the one who is in control of all things, and asked for wisdom and guidance. I am convinced that He wanted me to leave it alone. But God used that to teach me a lesson.

What about you? When you reflect on some of the recent happenings of your life, what do you see? Do you see someone who impulsively tries to control other people? Do you see someone who avoids people or situations because of a fear of not being in control or not knowing what the outcome will be? Do you see someone who manipulates others?

This next week I am going to keep an eye out for those circumstances where I don’t feel comfortable or secure. I hope to do what Hezekiah did, and turn immediately to the Lord in prayer. In the relationships in my life where I fear the unknown, I will declare my dependence on God, the faithful God, and seek His help in prayer.

How will you respond to the faithful God?

He Exalts The Humble

Last week I finished up the book of 1 Kings in my devotional reading. By the end of the book I was getting a little overwhelmed with how the kings after David and Solomon seamed to progressively worsen. Near the end of the book, I read the story of a terribly wicked king named Ahab, and to my surprise, I caught another glimpse of who God is. Let me share what I discovered.

The Big Picture

The Old Testament story continues to unfold in my reading. The Israelites, after finally making it to the promise land, have rejected God as their king and asked Him for to appoint a human king over them. Though God was displeased with this desire, he granted their request to teach them a lesson and discipline them. He gave them Saul. After Saul David was given the throne of Israel, and after David, Solomon. Now when Solomon’s rule as king came to and end, the northern kingdom of Israel separated from the southern kingdom of Israel. The rest of the book of Kings tells the stories of the different kings of Judah and the different kings of Israel.

Because of Solomon’s disobedience and the idolatry he committed with his wives’ gods, God tore the kingdom of Israel from Solomon’s hands, leaving Solomon’s descendants only one tribe to reign over – Judah. God gave the rest of Israel to the kingship of Jeroboam. Almost immediately after Jeroboam becomes king of Israel, he sets up two golden calves for the people to worship (1 Ki. 12 25-33)!

When I read this I was appalled! God gives this guy the kingdom of Israel to rule and the first thing he does is set up idols! Not only this, but he sets them up to prevent the Israelites from going to Jerusalem to worship the Lord in the temple of Solomon (v. 27-30). What a wicked man. I can just imagine how furious God must have been, especially when their ancestors did the very same thing at Sinai.

Jeroboam didn’t stop there though. He built shrines on high places and appointed priests and he instituted festivals of worshipping the golden calves (v. 31-33). Listen to what God had to say about him: “You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods…you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back (14:9). This was Jeroboam king of Israel. It’s amazing when you look at all the kings after him on the throne of Israel because each one of them is either said to follow the ways of David or of Jeroboam, doing right in the eyes of the Lord or doing evil in the eyes of the Lord.

The Small Picture

To your surprise, Jeroboam is not the one I want to focus on. Later on in the book of Kings a man named Ahab inherits the throne of Israel. Jeroboam was a wicked king, but Ahab was ten times as wicked! Listen to what the summary of his reign says in Kings:

“Ahab…did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam…but he also married Jezebel…and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him (1 Ki. 16:30-33).”

Few lived up to king Ahab’s legacy of wickedness. As I was reading his story I was so taken aback by how it ended:

Elijah, the prophet, comes to Ahab and tells him that God is furious with him and his sin (21:20-22). The writer of Kings records another side note:

“There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites…” (21:25-26).”

And now watch this!:

“When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly” (21:27).

Now let’s pause for minute. If I was God and Ahab did this I would have said to him, “Too late buddy” and struck him down for his wickedness. But as we read on, I cam to see that God was a little different than I first thought. Right after God speaks to Elijah about Ahab:

“Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son” (20:28).

Incredible! Unbelievable! When I read this, I sat there in my bed paralyzed with awe. Right at the end of his life Ahab humbled himself before the Lord and God extended grace and mercy to him. Remember this was the wickedest king who had ever ruled up to that point! Yet God gave him favor that he didn’t deserve.

It’s amazing to consider what this reveals about God. It shows me that he has a tremendously high value on humility. It shows me that he does indeed exalt those who are humble. If wicked Ahab’s humility can illicit such an incredible response of grace from God, how much more should we, having been justified in Christ, pursue a humble heart before the Lord in our daily walk? Our God’s beauty is beyond words. His majesty is overwhelming.

I am enjoying getting to know this God more and more everyday. May we continue to strive to know him better everyday.

The Faithful God

The other day as I continued in my reading of the Old Testament, I came across a favorite verse of mine. Since I had memorized it over a year ago, I had completely forgotten the context. But I was delighted to see God in a new light through an old truth.

The Big Picture

In the book of 1 Kings we read the story of Solomon, son of King David, the man after God's own heart. In chapter 8 we read Solomon's recount of God's promise to David. What did God promise David?

"Then he said:
'Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David...My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name' ' " (1 Kings 8:15; 17-19).

God promised David that he would have a son who would build a temple for Him to dwell in. At this point in the book of Kings, Solomon has just finished building the temple and has just brought the Ark of the Covenant to the finished temple. Promise fulfilled. You might think that it was easy for Solomon to fulfill God's promise because he was the son. Yet Solomon gives the credit to God! If we look back a few chapters we can see why:

"Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:

'You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet. But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name' ' " (1 Kings 5:2-5).

Building the temple for the Lord was no easy task and couldn't have been done without the peace that God provided with surrounding nations. One of the greatest reasons for this peace lied in Solomon's wisdom as a leader, of which God was the Source. In the building of the temple Solomon was merely the Lord's instrument and tool.

The Small Picture

Solomon realized how much of this fullfilment was God's doing when he worshipped the Lord in the book of Kings. It was then that Solomon stood before the altar and prayed aloud to God saying, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way" (8:23) Read that verse again. That was Solomon's response to God moving in his life. That day Solomon expressed a truth about God that his heart had come to know over the years of his life.

Solomon had discovered God to be faithful. So many times we throw that phrase around loosely, or sing it nonchalantly in our worship. It's something I am guilty of. We forget to consider some important details like: how is he faithful? faithful to do what? And it's here that Solomon's words ring loud and clear: "You...keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way."

Faithfulness has a lot more meaning when I read that. Step back a moment and consider what's going on. The wisest man to ever live on earth just declared that God is faithful to keep his promises. Isn't that amazing? And when I think back to some of the promises that I have read in the Old Testament, I find no different. When God says he will do something, he does it. When God makes a conditional promise to bless those who follow him with all their heart, you can be sure that He will do it! If God says that he will discipline you if you worship other gods, you can be sure that He will do it!

God is faithful to keep His word. All of His promises to you and me are sealed in His character to be fulfilled. How precious his words and his voice then become to me! How drastically this affects the way I live, knowing that every promise of God is a sure reality. I become more convinced everyday that a strong faith is not a blind faith. A strong faith is the result of a heart that intimately knows God as a faithful God, a God who keeps His promises.

In what ways has God shown Himself to you as the faithful God who keeps His word?

May you continue to strive for a Spirit of wisdom and revelation that you may know Him better.

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.