WHO AM I………..REALLY

One morning this past week as I was praying about some struggles I was going through, I thought; “precisely, who am I in Christ, and if that’s who I am, is that how I am living?”  I started digging.

In Christ, I am accepted:

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, John 1:12 I am God’s child

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1       I have been declared innocent

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16  I have direct access to the Throne of Grace through Christ Jesus

In Christ, I am secure:

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:1-2 I am not sentenced to punishment

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. II Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been authenticated, anointed and sealed by God

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.   Philippians 1:6 I can be confident that God will finish the good work He started in me

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. II Timothy 1:7 I have been given a spirit of power, love and sound mind

We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. I John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me

In Christ I have meaning:

You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. John 15:16 I have been chosen to bear fruit

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? I Corinthians 3:16 I am God’s temple

And God raised us up with Christ, and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Jesus in the Heavenly Realm

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be  reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. II Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God

Wow! When I look up, life takes on a whole different meaning. I am not really who I think I am when I’m focused horizontally. Vertical focus reveals my true identity and understanding that helps me live a victorious Christian life.

Vertical focus, not horizontal!

Child Like Faith

I was reminded the other day of how Jesus used a child as an example of how we are to be, to enter the kingdom of heaven. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:1-5 Sorting through various study aids on this subject, I realized there was more to this passage than the  typical understanding. Children have no concept of the impossible because they haven't defined what is, and what is not possible. No impossibilities or assumptions; no fear (child like faith). By further digging, I discovered more meat on the bone.

The key words in the passage are “humbles” and “change” in verses 3 and 4. If I put myself in the child’s place (called over to stand among several adults) I find myself thinking of several things. First is the concept of obedience as Jesus calls him over to the group. Because he was probably taught to respect his elders, he obeyed, walked over and stood amongst the disciples. Humility here means the willingness to accept oneself as being of little account and to be regarded as unimportant (God, creator of the universe is of great account and we are of none). As a child this seems to be easier to attain, rather than later in life when we are “set in our ways.” Of course, Jesus is speaking to adults, not children. So the challenge or struggle is this…...we must change our natural (set in our ways) preference of putting ourselves on the throne, and bow to His authority in all facets of our life. The bible tells us again and again how we are to be. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Php 2:5-8 What an example! The creator of the universe was willing to be of little account and of no importance, in obedience to the Father!

We are to imitate Christ’s humility. If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 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. Php 2:1-4 We all will end up on our knees, (Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18) it’s just a matter of how we get there.

Are you willing to change and humble yourself like the child Jesus had called? Are you willing to accept yourself as being of little account and unimportant, so to put others first and yourself last, to glorify and exalt God the Father?

Vertical focus—not horizontal!

Conquer the Land

There is one other interesting type that’s found in Numbers 2. The 12 tribes were told to group into four camps. Each tribe had a standard and symbol, but Judah, Isaachar and Zebulin were to rally around the standard of Judah. They collectively represented 186,400. Reuben, Simeon and Gad collectively represented about 151,000. Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin collectively represented 108,100. Dan, Asher and Naphtali, 157,600. Judah’s standard was the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Reuben’s was a man. Ephraim’s was the ox. Dan, the eagle. These four symbols are also the four faces of the cherubim around the throne of God in Isaiah 6 , Ezekiel 1 and 10, and Revelation 4.

Each of the camps, of three tribes each, was to encamp on one of the four cardinal compass directions (N, S, E, or W) with respect to the camp of the Levites enclosing the tabernacle (See here). We can only guess at how much space was required by the Levites, whether it was 100 feet on a side, 100 yards, or whatever. But whatever it was, we’ll assume that length as a basic unit.

To fully appreciate all of the implications, you must try to think like a rabbi; you need to maintain an extremely high respect for the precise details of the instructions. They resorted to heroic measures in their attempt to comply with the letter of the law.

The Camp of Judah had to camp east of the Levites. This poses a technical problem. Notice that if the breadth of their camp was larger than that of the Levites, the excess would be southeast or northeast, not east. Therefore, if they were to comply strictly to their instructions, their camp could only be as wide as that of the Levites, and they then would have to extend eastward to obtain whatever space they required.

The camps of Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan had the same constraint on the south, west, and north, respectively. The length of each leg would thus be proportional to the total population in each camp. If we assemble what we can infer from the Biblical account, we can imagine what the camp of Israel looked like from above: the tabernacle and the Levites in the center, surrounded by the four faces of the tribal standards, and each of the four camps of Judah, Ephraim, Reuben, and Dan, stretching out in the four cardinal directions. We can also tally the size of each tribe to total the relative length of each camp as they stretched out in each of the four directions. (See the plan view, on a relative scale, here).

The Book of Numbers is a fascinating study in many ways. Expositionally, it demonstrates integrity of Design; homiletically, it reveals that these were real people with practical problems; and, devotionally, we see that ''crossing over Jordon'' is not ''going to Heaven'' - life is a warfare. Each one of us is in our own ''wilderness'' and every day is our ''Kadesh-Barnea'' - will we trust God and ''conquer the land''? Will we resolutely try to surmount the obstacles that lie in our way…or will we shrink from the apparent difficulties and remain slaves to the sin in our lives?

Used by permission Chuck Missler—www.khouse.org

Are You Going Nowhere?

The other day I was reading a commentary by John MacArthur and came across a verse that I believe I will start calling my “life verse”. I’ve read the verse before, but have never been affected by it as I was when I read it over again and pondered the scope of its application. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16

The microscope was invented just 400 years ago and its name comes from two words; "micro" which means "small" and  "scope" which means "to see." Prior to that anything smaller than what the naked eye could see was “invisible”. A few years later the telescope was invented and again, up until then anything that could not be seen by the naked eye was invisible”. Of course the invisible aspect of this verse also pertains to the unseen spiritual realm, but my first thought as I pondered this verse was the immensity of God’s creation. Microscopes now can see things by the forces between atoms and are called atomic force microscopes. They can see things as small as a strand of DNA! Going in the other direction scientists say; “time, not space, limits our view of the universe. Beyond a certain distance, light hasn’t had time to reach us yet since the beginning of the universe.”

Taken from a web page pertaining to the expanding universe: “To make a mental model: how big is the universe that we can see?”

“Imagine that our entire Milky Way galaxy were the size of a CD. On this scale, the nearest spiral galaxy, Andromeda, would be another CD about eight feet away. The furthest galaxies we have ever seen, pictured in the Hubble Deep Field above, would be CDs about nine miles away. The edge of the observable Universe, the furthest we can possibly see, is only another mile beyond that.”

In our inborn pride, mankind time after time, thinks they have found the answer to the deepest questions. For example, just a few short years ago we were certain we had found the edge of the universe, but now we are certain that the universe is expanding. Every time we turn around, science realizes that what we thought we knew to be true, may not be, and another theory is born. What is really happening is that God, in His wisdom is allowing us to see more of His invisible creation.

Its hard for me to comprehend how, at times in my inborn pride I think I can run my life better than the one who created me knowing full well that only living by His word can I accomplish anything. On my own, I come up with some theory on how I should handle any given situation in my family life, job, or even my relationship with Jesus. I was created by Him and for Him, not for ME……for HIM. Vertical focus, vertical focus, our Heavenly Father, Jesus our Savior, the Holy Spirit our Counselor. Not horizontal focus, me, me, me….that is nothing but theory, and it, goes nowhere.

God’s Glory=Our Hope

Romans 5:2b  says; And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. I read that last week and realized that if someone asked me what the “glory of God” meant, I would not be able to answer the question, so I started looking. Our dictionary has many different meanings: very great praise bestowed by common consent; an object of pride ; adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving; resplendent beauty or magnificence; a state of great splendor; to exult with triumph; to boast. As followers of Christ, we would exalt all of these definitions as on to the Lords glory would we not? 

Throughout the bible, God’s glory is presented in many different ways. In the old testament it was a pillar of cloud, a pillar of fire, a burning bush, the law of Moses, the glow on Moses' face reflecting the fact that he had seen the face of the living God, and His glory was present in the temple.

In the new testament, coming to earth as a man through Jesus Christ, God’s glory was manifest as a servant/savior, God “dwelt among us”, dying for our sins, and rising back to life again to ascend into heaven to be with God the Father.  I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. John 17:4

Now His glory is shown through the Holy Spirit. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: John 15: 7,8. And as the reflection of the Glory of God was manifest in the old testament through the unveiled face of Moses, we through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit are to be the reflection of His glory to the world today. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. II Corinthians 3:18. So we must live by the spirit, not of the flesh so that the world will know who we are and who He is. The only way I can do that is to keep Him ever before my eyes. I must look to Him constantly, surrender to Him in everything, spend time with Him, allow His glory to fill me and His power to possess me. Vertical focus in everything I do, it must become part of me—habit (in my heart).

God’s glory in the future is where our hope is. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2b. Jesus is coming back to take us into the everlasting presence of God. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:22-27

Amen—look up brothers and sisters.

Vertical Focus—Not Horizontal

Hmmmm…..nothing like a good piece of gossip to make us feel important or better (holier) than someone else. It builds us up (false hope), it helps take the focus off of our own sin and puts the focus on another or others (this can include sharing prayer requests for specific persons while sharing irrelevant detailed information). I’d guess there isn’t anything more damaging to a church body than gossip because it’s where division can start and give way to other sins.

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19. With the exception of one on this list of sins, all are involved in gossip and as His word says; He hates and finds them detestable (disgustingly offensive).

As I see it, after we boil it all down, it comes back to the motive of the heart. Is our heart horizontally focused on us and the problems of life surrounding us? Or is it focused vertically on the things of God and His coming kingdom?

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

To be vertically focused, we are to be pleasing God by building up, not tearing down others. We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:1-7.

There we have it then……...back to the sole reason we are on earth, to bring praise and glory to God Almighty, not me. Let us lift up our eyes and pray then, that the Lord would give us endurance, encouragement and a spirit of unity at NWBC and the world around us in the new year.

Vertical focus—not horizontal!!

Who Are We Kidding?

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. II Corinthians 10:4-5

In this passage, Paul is responding to critics and false teachers who had thrown accusations at him, of which, that he lived and operated by worldly standards. The strongholds that he talks about (arguments and every pretension) are conclusions, or rationalizations (rational-lies?) that start in the mind and then are worked out in life as action directed at repelling the knowledge of God.

This sounds like something we today call denial. We believe the lies, they become part of us and we live them out, thinking we are not sinning! Can anyone relate? What areas of your life has the Holy Spirit been convicting you about that you have been resisting? Are you using the weapons of the world to combat the conviction of God almighty? Our culture is all about minimizing righteous thinking and lifting up the needs of the individual. It’s got to make us feel good! So, instead of responding to the prompting of our loving God (which might be painful, take some work, time, and dedication), we look horizontal for something easy, pleasurable, something to make us feel good.

How can we fight against these rationalizations that start in the mind and fool us into wrong thinking and sinful behaviors? How do we take captive (like a prisoner of war) every thought and make it obey Christ? Essentially, to be taken captive, we have to surrender do we not? We allow our minds to be controlled by Him and not ourselves. Surrender involves a heart that wants to please God and bring glory to Him in everything we think and do. It is not about bringing glory to ourselves by saying and doing the “right” things to look like we are living a life for Him, as this brings us back to the “rational-lies” syndrome or denial (sin). “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:7-10 [emphases mine]  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12 [emphases mine]

We only fool ourselves in denial. God knows our every thought, and eventually, our actions that come from these strongholds bear fruit that is seen by others. If we were to obey the wisdom and precepts that God desires and has freely given us, we could save ourselves the embarrassment and shame that comes with that fruit. So walk forward in confidence knowing;

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Vertical focus—not horizontal!

Looking the Other Way

I was reading through an article the other day which made me start thinking about just where my priorities really are.

The Bible is full of “last days prophecies”, some of which have come to pass, and some which have not. I’d like to share a few of these with you and see if you come to the same conclusion that I did.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. II Peter 2:1-2 Nowadays, you often run into folks who reject some parts of the Bible (or misinterpret it) because of what they heard a false teacher say.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14 Today, portions or all of the Bible have been translated into over 2,400 languages and dialects covering over 90% of the world’s population. TV and the internet is available to almost anyone who has electricity. Travel is fast. You can be on the other side of the world in a matter of hours. Missionaries cover most of the globe.

While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. I Thessalonians 5:3 The global cry for peace is becoming stronger as each year passes.

There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. Luke 21:11 Famines are common. According the United Nations, an estimated 854 million people went hungry in 2006.

An oracle concerning Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. Isaiah 17:1 The saber rattling between Syria and Israel has been building for years now, its just a matter of time before something happens.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Matthew 24:6-7 The Bible tells us not to be alarmed or afraid here. That these are warnings and the end of the world is still to come.

So what are we to do then? When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28 Even as turmoil goes on all around us, we are to stand and look up knowing our Savior and the start of eternity with Him is close at hand. The “day of the Lord” is meaningful in two ways; for sinners it will be a day of condemnation to eternal torment. For believers, deliverance through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus.

Knowing then, that our life here on earth “is but a mist”, and our eternity in heaven is sealed, shouldn’t we be focused on living godly, Christ centered lives?

Quoted from the article:

“The day of the Lord should be a truth that radically changes the Christian’s lifestyle. Knowing that the material world will vanish, we should not place too much value on material things. Knowing that the Word of God will never pass away, we should find it of infinite, eternal, value. And knowing that undue indulgence of earthly pleasures will dull our sensitivity to the time of His return should motivate us to live a disciplined life, a life marked by self-control, not self-indulgence. Neither should we worry or be anxious about the things of this life, knowing that this concern will also hinder our prayers and watchfulness.

Let us live our lives in the light of this reality—that Jesus Christ is to return to the earth to judge the wicked, and to bring deliverance to His saints. Let us live as though the material world is a vapor, and the unseen world (including the Word of God) is our only certainty.”

Bob Deffinbaugh, The Gospel of the Gentiles—article 67 Copyright ©1996-2006 Biblical Studies Press, reprinted with permission from www.bible.org.

Our time on earth is getting shorter. We should then, be about spreading the gospel to a lost and condemned world, not only in other countries, but in our own back yard.

Vertical focus—not horizontal!

Exhorting One Another

Exhorting one another - Exhort means “to aid, help, comfort, encourage, and beseech.” In the world we live in with all its temptations and distractions to divert and pull us from our calling (1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ) every one of us needs exhortation to strive harder to stand firm.

The bible has a lot to say about this command. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24,25 How much of our conversations with each other engage mutual spiritual encouragement.? And to pursue holiness so others will see Christ in us and be drawn to Him. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 Strong advise here on our relationships with non-believers around us.

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 We are bound (through His death) to stir up, and to strengthen and encourage one another.

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:12,13 Powerful advise on our relationships with fellow believers around us. This verse indicates that our relationships should be such that we know each other intimately. This would take a lot of dedication, and work on both parties part, considering how often the majority of us so not see each other on a daily bases.

“Hang in there!” “Hold fast!” “Have you tried praying about that?” “Have you sought the advice or counsel of this person?” “Do you think it would help for you to do this or that thing?” “I had a problem like that one time.” By doing this, we begin to share our resources and experiences, and there is wisdom, God says, in a multitude of counselors. It cannot help but build people up, and our fellowship becomes stronger as we share one another’s failures, struggles, pains, hopes, and victories. The tongue has the power of life and death. Proverbs 18:21Your words have an impact on others!

Finally, we are to encourage each other to look forward in a vertical manner to our final destination or journey’s end. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Lest we not forget who essentially brings us to our calling. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24

Praise God. Vertical focus-not horizontal!!

My ______ Comes From You

Have you ever thought exactly just how much we really do on our own, here on earth? Insert the following words into the blank spot in this sentence.

Praise you Lord, my ________________ comes from you.

Advocacy - My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. I John 2:1

Discernment - I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. Psalm 119:125

Protection - He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Proverbs 2: 7,8 - For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. I Peter 2:25

Hope - Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:17-20

Salvation - After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God,  who sits on the throne,  and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9,10

Provision - If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:30-33

Encouragement - For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

Sustenance - Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4-The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3

Some day soon, we will be with Him who sits on the throne. “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor  and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Revelation 7:12

Until then……..vertical focus, not horizontal!!

God's Grace is Sufficient!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. II Corinthians 12:9

Ever have a period of time in your life where it seems at every turn it’s a struggle, or life just doesn’t seem to be going your way? Times like this seem to come my way every now and then as life assaults me from every direction. Recently, just getting going in the morning turned into an ordeal that seemed to never end. I’m not talking about having a bad day, I’m suggesting a string of bad days that seem to stack up together. Every time I turned around, something went wrong or it didn’t turn out like I thought it would. I found myself starting to feel sorry for myself and began thinking of ways to make myself feel better. Well, as I was in “pity party” mode the other day, my mind turned towards heaven and part of the verse above, “My grace is sufficient” popped into my thoughts. I started a thought process of wondering how this verse would apply to all the things that had been happening to me recently.

Prior to verse nine, Paul said he had asked the Lord to remove this “thorn” that he had. God’s response was not to remove it as Paul had requested, but that he would continually supply him with grace to endure it. The weaker the human, the more clearly God’s grace shines fourth.

After a little digging, on the word “grace” I came across II Timothy 2:1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Paul was telling Timothy to overcome his apparent drift toward weakness and to renew his commitment to his ministry. He then goes on to two examples of what our part is in receiving this grace. Verse 5: as an athlete competes within the rules, we to  need to obey the Word of God in the pursuit of spiritual victory. Verse 6: as a farmer labors hard for his crop, we should not be lazy but work hard with a view of the coming of the Lord.

Peter talks about growing in grace in II Peter 3:17-18 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Peter tells us we are to be on guard not to be led astray by false teaching. Also pursuing Christian maturity and a deepening knowledge of the Lord Jesus will lead  us to doctrinal stability and prevent  us from being led astray.

Wow, where had I been? Total horizontal focus on my part! Being led astray by my own human flesh and tempted by worldly attacks! But praise the Lord, I’m brought back to reality through His word and the working of the Holy Spirit. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even through refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. I Peter 1: 3-9

So, all my human weaknesses ultimately bring praise, glory and honor to God because through His grace, His power is made perfect through my weakness. Through His grace my salvation is protected, through His grace my continued and growing faith is evidence of His keeping power. It is He the Sheppard that brings me back to walk with Him.

Vertical focus, not horizontal. All praise and glory be to God!

What’s in your heart?

I can not, at this moment think of anything I could gain (as far as change goes) from examining my sinful behavior and asking why I do it, to refrain from that behavior.

Looking back over 20 years ago when I had started a “recovery” process from 20 years of alcohol and drug addiction I was taught that in order to change my “dysfunctional” (sinful) behaviors I needed to understand why I related in “dysfunctional” (sinful) ways towards others. I was encouraged to reflect on the environment I grew up in, discern how I responded to those surroundings, and understand that  the sinful ways I learned to relate to others became sinful habits which I needed to change to righteous habits. (They had the conclusion right anyway)

I guess I have likely gained some sort of wisdom and change along the way by that process (in which I read many, many, Christian and secular self-help books-some good-some not so good), but since then I have come to learn that my behavior to any given situation is a direct result of what is in my heart and lasting behavioral change does not come to pass by focusing mostly on the why’s of my behavior or the behavior itself. It comes from allowing God control of my life and submitting my will to His will in all things. To be so influenced by the Spirit of God as to have the mind of Christ in my beliefs, values, attitudes, and motives so that my behavior and attitude brings glory to God.

The bible says; My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:20-27 [emphasis mine] What is in the heart effects what we think, say, and do; “it is the wellspring of life.” No wonder God mentions the heart so many times in the bible. The heart is KEY! He wants us to wake up to reality!

Time and space leave little to answer the “how” in changing the heart, so here are some verses to point us in the right direction, please take the time to look up these verses. If I would have had the space, I would have added them to the article.

(I John 1:5-2:17) walking in the light, (Colossians 3 and 4) guidelines for holy living, (Philippians 4:4-9) present your requests to God and he will guard your heart, (Matthew 22:37) love the Lord with all your heart, (Matthew 23:25-26) clean the inside then the outside will be clean also, (Acts 15:9) purified through faith, (Ephesians 3:16-17) Christ in your heart through faith, (John 8:31) know the truth.

To what end will a changed heart bring? Ephesians 1:18-23. To bring, give, and effect praise and glory to Him.

Change comes from vertical focus-not horizontal!